Never let go
by Angel of Eternity
Summary: Dr. Blight captures Wheeler and brainwashes him. Now he's a cold hearted killer with one purpose: Kill Linka. Events spiral out of control and Wheeler is thought dead in an explosion. But is he dead or just waiting? Ch 12 is up!
1. Chapter 1

I didn't get a lot of reviews in my last story, but sadly, not many people read Cap. Planet fics. 

Anyway, I'm still going to write 'cause I love the stories.

Disclaimer: I don't own Captain Planet or anything related to the story.

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"Linka! Come on, you're going to miss the movie!" Gi shouted from the couch. Gi smiled when she heard crashing and thumps from Linka's room. Gi almost laugh out loud when she realized the lengths Linka was going to look nice and pretty in front of a certain red-haired planeteer. Gi had always known that Wheeler had a crush on Linka, but over the last couple of years, Linka had started to crush on the young America. Not that Gi could blame her, over the past couple of years; Wheeler had really turned into an attractive man. His muscles had strong definition all over his body thanks to his light brown tan, and his red hair had been grown out to his neck. Because he worked in the sun so often, some of his hair had been given natural highlights by the sun.

"I'm here." Linka said as she emerged from the hallway. Linka was rubbing the back of her neck and slowly sat down on the couch. Linka noticed that Kwame, Gi, and Ma-ti had taken all the chairs, which left her and Wheeler to share the couch. Not that Linka minded at all. Over the years, she had come to enjoy his company. And she knew that Wheeler didn't mind at all. It was obvious to anybody who had seen them together that Wheeler had a crush on Linka. What surprised Linka was how often she found herself starring at Wheeler, thinking about what it would be like if they were to… Linka's face flared red and she immediately stopped her train of thought. She knew from experience how miserable she made herself thinking about a relationship with Wheeler then realizing she didn't have one. Linka sat down next to a smiling Wheeler and tried not to blush.

"Hey Babe, what's wrong with your neck?" Wheeler asked his concern obvious in his voice. Linka looked over to him and could help but feel flattered at how much Wheeler cared for her.

"I tripped over the chair in my room and hit the floor at a bad angel." Linka said, recounting the small incident in her room.

"Would you like a message?" Wheeler asked with a grin. Before Linka could answer, Wheeler gently lowered her head and began to rub her neck. Linka felt the pain in her neck gently flow away as Wheeler's hand moved up and down her neck as though he was an expert. After several second of being in heaven, Linka felt Wheeler's hands leave her neck and gently move her head to it's original position.

"Better?" Wheeler whispered his lips inches from her ear.

"Better" Linka whispered with a small grin. Linka realized that if the other planeteers had not been here, she was certain she would have thanked Wheeler with a long, slow kiss.

"Just tell me if you need anything else babe." Wheeler said, sinking more into the couch. Linka thought for a moment about the offer; she knew what she would ask for, but, again, the other planeteers were here. For a second, Linka wondered if they mattered; they all knew that she liked Wheeler, and Wheeler liked her. Would they really care if she kissed him, right here and now? Linka decided against it, but another question her mind, one that she was surprised to find she did not know the answer to.

"Wheeler, why do you call me Babe?" Linka asked shyly. Wheeler felt his face warm up at the question. He thought for several long second before answering carefully.

"Well, it's kind of my little nickname for you. Like how you call me Yankee, I call you Babe." Wheeler answered. Linka thought about his answer and felt a wave of guilt wash over her. If nothing else, Wheeler's nickname for her was complementing her looks. But her nickname for her was mean and derogative. He calls her pretty, and she calls him an ignorant American. Linka pushed the thought aside and made a mental note not to call him Yankee until she knew it was okay by him. Linka tried to take her mind off Wheeler but found if difficult. Linka looked to the movie screen just in time to see a swamp monster with slimly, gore covered horns leap from a lake and snatch a screaming teen from a row boat. Linka almost shrieked, but managed to stifle it in Wheeler's chest. Before she knew it, she had thrown herself into Wheeler's arms and had clung to him for dear life. Linka slowly pulled back and looked up at Wheeler. Wheeler was looking down at her with shining blue eyes.

"Enjoying the movie?" Wheeler asked with a grin. Linka giggled and had to cover her mouth to save herself from laughing too much.

"Do…do you mind if I stay?" Linka asked shyly. Wheeler smiled and gently grazed her head with his lips.

"Make yourself at home" Wheeler whispered. Linka smiled and slowly moved until Wheeler had his arm around her shoulder and her head rested on his neck.

"Wheeler…thanks" Linka whispered.

"Not problem Babe. You always have a friend in Wheeler." Wheeler whispered with his trademark, gentle, smile.

"Da…friend." Linka mouthed. The word friend turned over and over in her mind. She was surprised by it; not because she wanted to be more, she already knew that. What surprised her was that Wheeler was the one who spoke openly of having a relationship, and yet here he is, calling himself a non-romantic, non-sexual friend for her. For a split second, Linka wondered if she had waited too long, and Wheeler have lost his love for her. Linka shook her head violently; Wheeler still loved her, he had to.

Linka watched the rest of the movie with Wheeler in silence. Her mind raced over thoughts of how she could tell Wheeler how much she loved him. Any idea she came up with seemed to have a major flaw in them. Linka became so aggravated with her failed idea that she pulled away from Wheeler and stormed off to her room.

"What was that about?" Gi asked, shocked at Linka's actions.

"No idea. But I'm going to find out." Wheeler said seconds before he chased after her. Wheeler ran down the hallway until he came to Linka's door. To his surprise, he found the Russian beauty curled up in a ball, outside her door. Wheeler was shocked when he heard the unmistakable sounds of crying.

"Babe…Linka what's wrong?" Wheeler asked, kneeling next to her. At first, Linka didn't notice him, and almost gasped when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her. Before she knew it, Linka buried her face into Wheeler's chest and cried her heart out. After several minutes, Kwame crept down the hallway to see what was wrong. When he reached Wheeler and Linka, Wheeler looked up at him. Kwame mouthed if he need help. Wheeler nodded "no" and motioned Kwame to go away; Kwame nodded and walked back to the couch. When Linka seemed to calm down, Wheeler decided to find out what was wrong.

"Linka, do you want to tell me what's wrong?" Wheeler whispered. Linka looked up into Wheeler's loving, blue eyes. Linka knew Wheeler deserved to know, but she didn't want to tell him. She just wanted to be held in his arms for the rest of her life.

"Wheeler…do…do we have a future together?" Linka asked her voice low so only Wheeler could hear her. At first, Wheeler was taken back by the question, but managed to compose himself when he saw the desperation in her eyes.

"Well, do you want a future with me?" Wheeler asked his blue eyes reflecting moon light from the window.

"Da, I do. I want nothing more." Linka whispered, as she noticed how close her face was to Wheeler's.

"Then we'll have a future together." Wheeler said, also noticing how close they were.

"But how much longer must we wait…before we say what needs to be said?" Linka asked as a smile returned to her face. Wheeler smiled back and gently brushed his lips against hers. Linka felt her heart flutter in her chest, and before she knew it, she had her arms around his neck, pulling his lips to hers again. After several minutes of one deep, passionate kiss, Wheeler pulled away.

"Boshe Moy…can I get that everyday?" Linka laughed.

"Linka…" Wheeler began, "I…I love you." Linka heard her heart pounding in her chest.

"I love you too." Linka said with the biggest smile of her life.

"Come on, lets join the others." Wheeler said, standing up and offering his hand to Linka. Linka smiled and walked, hand in hand back to the couch to finish the movie…

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I know, I know, short, but I'll add another chapter soonish.

Some people say it's pointless to do a Cap. Planet Fic 'cause nobody reads 'em. I say Piss off! I'm going to continue to write Cap. Planet Fics because I love them, and I don't care if I only get 1 review, I'll still write more!

Until next time….


	2. Chapter 2

Okay then. Time for another Linka/ Wheeler romance filled chapter. I can't wait to see what I come up with.

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"Hey Wheeler, almost ready to go?" Kwame called from his room. Wheeler finished packing a baseball and three catching gloves into his backpack before answering.

"Almost. You?" Wheeler called back. Kwame appeared in the door way caring his backpack.

"Just about." Kwame answered indicating to his backpack.

"What'd you bring?" Wheeler asked as he threw his backpack over his shoulder.

"A couple of novels, some coloring books, and a copy of _The Fifth Element_ for the older kids. How about you?" Kwame asked as they walked down the hallway.

"Let's see…a baseball, several gloves, a jump rope, and a deck of cards." Wheeler said proudly. Wheeler and Kwame entered the common room and found Ma-ti and Gi sitting on the couch watching _The Perfect Strom_. Linka was in the kitchen and from the smell, Wheeler guessed that she was cooking scrambled eggs.

"Where you off to Wheeler?" Linka called from the kitchen.

"Kwame and I volunteered to work at an orphanage today, babe." Wheeler called back. Linka crept out of the kitchen and snuck up behind Wheeler. Before Wheeler knew it, Linka had wrapped her arms around his waist and had bit him lightly on the ear.

"Mind if I come too?" Linka whispered in his ear. Wheeler looked at Kwame and nodded to Linka.

"Of course you can tag along Linka. Susan will be happy to have an extra pair of hands." Kwame said happily.

"Great. Give my five minutes to get ready." Linka said before running down the hallway to her room.

"Hey Linka?" Wheeler yelled after her.

"Da…?" Linka asked, poking her head out of her room.

"Bring something that the little girls would like to play with." Wheeler told her. Linka nodded then returned to her room.

"Who is Susan?" Ma-Ti asked from the couch.

"She is a very nice young woman who works very hard at the orphanage and…"

"Kwame's girlfriend." Wheeler finished.

"Hey!" Kwame said, glaring at Wheeler.

"What? I call 'em like I see 'em." Wheeler said with a shrug.

"Is she cute?" Gi asked, now paying close attention to Kwame's reaction.

"Well she…that is… I would say…um…" Kwame stuttered, trying to hide the blush in his face.

"She's like…mad, crazy hot!" Wheeler said, giving Gi two thumbs up. Gi smiled and turned her attention back to the TV.

"Hey! Watch it Yankee!" Linka warned when she heard Wheeler opinion of Susan.

"Relax Babe. She's got nothing on you." Wheeler said with a grin.

"Good, because I'm not going to compete with anyone for you. You're mine." Linka said with a sly smile.

"Fine by me." Wheeler said. Linka smiled and walked past Wheeler, but he stopped her by grabbing her hand with his. Linka turned to face Wheeler, but found a pair of lips waiting for her. Linka knew he was going to kiss her ever since he told her about Susan lack of competition. Wheeler pulled away after several seconds, then followed Kwame out to the Geo-Cruiser. Linka remained for a second then looked to Gi, who had seen everything. Gi smiled widely and motioned Linka to follow Wheeler and Kwame. Linka nodded and walked out and entered the Geo-Cruiser and took a seat next to Wheeler. Kwame launched the Geo-Cruiser into the air and took off towards the orphanage, and Susan.

-(Twenty Minutes later)-

"We'll be landing soon. Get ready." Kwame informed the two behind him.

"Ok Kwame…" Linka said, then turned and leaned closer to Wheeler, "So, tell me about Susan." Linka whispered in Wheeler's ear.

"Well, she's from Cuba, and has a Masters in Social Science." Wheeler whispered back.

"Okay…how cute is she?" Linka whispered with a smile.

"Well…um, on a rating from one to ten, about nine." Wheeler said cautiously.

"Really? What about me?" Linka inquired with a smile.

"Let's see…" Wheeler said as he scratched his chin in deep thought.

"Da…." Linka said, indicating that he should continue.

"On a rating of um…I would say about eight-point-five." Wheeler said with a snicker.

"WHEELER!" Linka gasped. Linka wasn't about to be outdone by some girl she had never met before.

"Hundred…" Wheeler continued.

"Wheeler…?" Linka said as she glared at him.

"Thousand." Wheeler finished.

"That low?" Linka said mockingly.

"Well I…" Wheeler began, but stopped when Linka put her lips on his.

"Do you think you two can stay off each other for five minutes?" Kwame asked, rolling his eyes. Linka and Wheeler pulled apart immediately and blushed madly.

"Sorry." They said together.

"Better, now come on, we're here and we have work to do." Kwame said as he opened the hatch and stepped outside.

-(Later)-

"WHEELER! WHEELER! I'M OPEN" shouted little Bobby, one of the orphans. Wheeler nodded and tossed the Baseball over-arm to Bobby, who caught in behind his back with his mitt.

"Nice catch Bobby!" shouted Susan from under a tree. Susan and Linka sat under an Oak Tree, braiding the hair of some of the little girls.

"Bobby! Bobby! Over here!" Called Ryan, Bobby's little brother. Bobby tossed Ryan the ball; Ryan jumped into the air to catch it, but missed. The ball bounded off the tip of his mitt, and flew past Ryan and landed in the bushes behind him.

"Darn it!" Ryan said as the ball disappeared into the bushes.

"Ryan! Watch your language young man!" Susan said kindly, but firmly.

"Sorry Miss Susan." Ryan said, hanging his head.

"It's okay. Now, go get the ball. Others want to play." Susan said kindly with a smile. Kwame, who was teaching several of the younger orphans at the front steps, sighed to himself at Susan's sweetness. Ryan smiled a tooth grin, and spun his baseball cap so a small amount of his brown hair poked out. Seconds later, Ryan was on his hands and knees, searching for the lost ball.

"HEY WHEELER, THNIK FAST!" Mathew, an African-American boy, age ten from Kansas, shouted. Wheeler spun on his heel and found a bright red ball flying directly at him. The ball connected with Wheeler face with a THUMP.

"Oh, a sneak attack, eh? Come here you!" Wheeler laughed and began to chase Mathew around the Oak.

"NOW!" Mathew shouted. On command, Bobby, a little red headed boy named Mark, and a blonde boy named Tim, jumped from the tree and landed on Wheeler. Wheeler laughed at the three took him to the ground. They were soon joined by Mathew, and Ryan, who had dropped his mitt and the baseball next to Linka.

"We got him!" Mark shouted as he wrestled to keeps Wheeler's feet to the ground. Mark gasped and Wheeler wrapped his right arm around Ryan's waist, and lifted the boy off the ground and set him down with a THUD behind him. Each boy in turn was wrestled off Wheeler, but the second he was up; all five boys tackled him back to the ground.

"I haven't seen the boys this happy in ages." Susan said, watching Wheeler and the boys roll around on the ground.

"Da…Wheeler has a way with children. Probably because he's not so different from them." Linka laughed.

"He's got a good heart." Susan said happily as she finished braiding Megan's brown hair.

"Come here you!" Wheeler shouted.

"Da, he does. Like the boys here, he's just looking to have some fun." Linka said, resting her head against the Oak trunk.

"He's a keeper. Hold on to him." Susan said with a smile. Linka blushed, but couldn't help but agree.

"So is Kwame." Linka said, nodding over to Kwame, who was reading out loud from _The Three Little Pigs_. It was Susan's turn to blush and she had to turn from Linka to hide the red in her cheeks.

"Well…yes, he is very kind and cares deeply for this place." Susan said as she watched Kwame reading.

"How long have Wheeler and Kwame been coming here?" Linka asked. The question had been picking at her mind for several hours now.

"Hmm….lets see. Once or twice a month for…almost eight months." Susan said.

"Boshe Moy…" Linka gasped. This was a whole new side of Kwame and Wheeler that she had never seen before.

"I got 'em! I got 'em!" Ryan shouted as he clung to Wheeler's arm keeping him from moving any of the other boys off.

"Miss Linka, is it true that you and Wheeler are…in love?" Jessica, a little girl with short black hair. All of the girls turned their attention to Linka, who was blushing and trying to find the right words.

"Da.." Linka said eventually. Most of the girls giggled, others made an "Aww" sound.

"How long have you two been dating?" Susan asked, generally curious.

"Almost five months now." Linka said proudly.

"Did he rescue you from a dragon?" Jessica asked.

"Did he save you from your wicked step-mom?" Catherine asked seconds later

"Is he brave?" Kristy asked, dreaming of a brave knight on horseback.

"Can he fly?" Julia asked quickly.

The question bombarded Linka, who was at a loss to all of them. It's not that she couldn't answer them, it just as soon as she thought of the correct words, another question was asked, then another.

"Has he ever kissed you?" Megan asked sweetly. Linka looked down at her and felt moved at the curiously she saw in Megan's bright blue eyes. To her surprise, nobody asked another question; all of the girls wanted to know the answer to Megan's question.

"Da…he has." Linka said simply; all of the girls giggled at her answer.

"What's it like?" Julia asked, as she stretched her legs and rested her head against the Oak.

"Kissing?" Linka inquired. In truth, Linka already knew what she meant, but she needed to buy time to think of an answer.

"No. Being in love. What's it like?" Megan asked, closing her eyes and letting herself day-dream.

"Love is very odd…" Linka began, "it's when you can't live without someone in your life. It's when you know that you would do anything to make them happy, when seeing them upset tares your heart apart."

"How do you know when you're in love?" Susan asked. Linka was surprised to hear her take part in the conversation, but when she saw the look in Susan's eyes, she understood.

"You just know. It's like something in you life is just perfect, and the one you love fits into you life like the missing puzzle piece." Linka said, watching Wheeler dreamily. Wheeler and the other boys had tired themselves out, and now they just rested on the grass, talking lightly and telling jokes.

"How will I ever find love?" Catherine asked shyly.

"Your heart." Linka said simply. All the girls, with the exception of Susan and Megan who seemed to understand, looked to Linka.

"My heart?" Kristy asked, touching her heart gently.

"Girls, if you listen to your heart, you will always find love. But you need to listen carefully, because you can't always hear your heart all the time. I didn't hear my heart talking to me about Wheeler for years, but once I learned to quiet the world around me, the message was clear." Linka said as she stifled a yawn. She looked around and found that the other girls were asleep, off dreaming about their Prince Charming. Linka smiled and closed her eyes. Soon, Linka had drifted into a dream of her own, with Wheeler.

- (Later, at the end of the day)-

"Why do you have to leave?" Mathew asked as he hugged Wheeler tightly.

"I have to. I need to get back home." Wheeler said sadly.

"Will you come back soon?" Bobby asked hopefully. Wheeler smiled and rustled Bobby's hair.

"I'll be back before you know it." Wheeler said happily.

"Um…Wheeler, this belongs to you." Ryan said, offering Wheeler the baseball. Wheeler kneeled down in front of him, and gently pushed Ryan's hand back.

"Keep it. Practice everyday. Who knows, you might be better than me next time" Wheeler said with a warm smile.

"But you played in collage." Ryan said, still unable to believe Wheeler's kindness.

"True, but I still had to practice. If you can dream it, you can achieve it. Just never stop dreaming, and don't let anyone break your dreams." Wheeler said. Linka was surprised on how emotional Wheeler sounded.

"I will. I promise." Ryan said happily. Wheeler smiled and plucked the ball from Ryan's hand.

"This one is worth five hundred. Dead or Alive." Wheeler said with a grin. With a snap of the wrist, Wheeler hurled the ball several yards away. Ryan took off after the ball, and was soon followed by the other boys.

"Well…I guess this is goodbye for now." Kwame said, nervously scratching the back of his head.

"I guess so." Susan said shyly. Kwame felt several emotions swirling around in his head, then he remember something Wheeler had told him.

"_Take a chance. Chicks dig that" Wheeler had told him several years ago. _

Kwame gulped and leaned close to Susan and gently brushed his lips across hers. Susan squeaked, but made no attempts to move away. After several seconds, Kwame pulled away and was blushing madly.

"Come on Kwame, let's go man." Wheeler said, motioning Kwame to follow him into the Geo-Cruiser.

"I should…" Kwame stuttered.

"Yeah right…you should." Susan also stuttered, trying to hide the blush in her face.

"So…see you next time?" Kwame asked, slowly backing up.

"Right…next time." Susan confirmed.

"Well, bye." Kwame said before entering the Geo-Cruiser.

"Goodbye." Susan whispered as the Geo-Cruiser took off.

Linka, Wheeler and a still dreamy looking Kwame arrived at Hope Island latter than they had planned. Kwame went straight to bed, but Wheeler and Linka each enjoyed a piece of Cheesecake left in the fridge. When they had finished, Linka and Wheeler walked down the hallway together, talking quietly about the day's events.

"So, I guess this is goodnight, eh?" Wheeler asked when the reached Linka's room.

"Da…it is." Linka said as she tried desperately to place a new feeling she had towards Wheeler.

"Night." Wheeler said as he leaned close to Linka to kiss her. The feeling of his lips on hers sent a shiver up Linka's spine and she felt her face turn red. Wheeler pulled away, but Linka new she wanted more. She had finally placed the new emotion in her head. Wheeler spun on his heal and began to walk to his room. Linka reached out and grasped his hand and effectively stopped him. Wheeler turned to face Linka was a confused look in his eyes.

"Wheeler…stay with me tonight." Linka said, her voice barely that of a whisper. Wheeler's eyes widened and his mouth hung open.

"Linka…I…I" Wheeler stuttered.

"Wheeler, I love you. You are the final piece to my puzzle. Let's see if you fit" Linka said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Linka met Wheeler's eyes and she raised both of her eyebrows to help Wheeler make up his mind.

"I…I…" Wheeler stuttered, his mind spinning in every direction imaginable. Linka smiled and gently kissed Wheeler who put both of his hands on her back and pulled her as close a possible. Linka smiled as she blindly reached for the door handle. When she found in, she and Wheeler soon found themselves in Linka room, lying on Linka's bed.

"I love you." Linka whispered.

"I love you too." Wheeler said. Linka reached for Wheeler shirt and threw it to the floor next to the bed.

Wheeler did the same for Linka…..

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You know, I wasn't expecting such a nice chapter, but hey, we have one now.

Anyway, I shall update first chance I get.

Until Next Time….


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, sure, I'll do a third chapter…pick up where I left off.

Um…lets get started!

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"Morning Gi." Kwame said as Gi emerged from the hallway scratching the back of her head and yawning.

"Morning" Gi said through a yawn.

"Coffee?" Kwame asked as he poured a fresh cup of the steaming liquid.

"Lots of cream and lots of sugar please." Gi said, still half awake. Kwame nodded and added the ingredients. Gi smiled and nodded happily after Kwame was finished preparing the cup. Gi smiled as the strong aromas of the coffee made their way to her nose. Gi sipped slowly on the coffee, savoring each drop of the godly drink.

"I've never seen you this tired. What did you and Ma-ti do last night?" Kwame asked, as he sipped on his sugarless coffee.

"We played Battle Ship" Gi said with a smile.

"Battle Ship!" Kwame asked, not believing her for a second.

"Ask Ma-ti. That boy plays an intense game. We must have played one game for over three hours.

"I don't think you could have put more innuendos in that sentence if you tried. You should be thankful Wheeler isn't up yet. He wouldn't let you forget that sentence for the rest of your life." Kwame laughed. Gi blushed as she replayed the sentence back in her head. Gi was thankful that Wheeler didn't hear that sentence, and she knew Kwame wouldn't tell him either.

"Speaking of Wheeler, where is he? And where is Ma-ti? And for that matter, where is Linka?" Gi asked, looking around for the others. Wheeler usually slept in late, but Linka was always up before Kwame.

"Wheeler's asleep. Odd that Linka isn't up. You should check her room. As for Ma-ti, he's probably still asleep. You must have really worn him out." Kwame said with a snicker.

"Okay okay, I get. Enough with the jokes." Gi said angrily.

"Sorry." Kwame said with a smile.

"Apology accepted. Now, I have to go find Linka and the others." Gi said before walking down the hallway with her coffee in hand. Gi walked past Ma-ti room seconds before Ma-ti himself emerged. Ma-ti smiled and nodded a hello.

"Ma-ti, all I can say is I'm sorry." Gi warned.

"For what?" Ma-ti asked.

"You'll find out." Gi said before continuing her walk to Linka's room. Ma-ti shrugged and left for the kitchen. Gi felt sorry for Ma-ti, but not that much. Her sense of humor took over and she found herself laughing at the situation. Gi wiped a tear from her eye and continued walking down the hallway. When she reached Wheeler's room, Gi decided to see if the American was up.

"Wheeler? Wheeler, you up?" Gi asked as she knocked on the wooden door. Normally, Wheeler would still be sleepy and he would throw a pillow at the door. Gi waited for several seconds, but she never heard the light THUMP of a pillow smashing into the wooden door. Gi knocked on last time, and then she reached for the handle. Slowly the door opened to reveal a dark room with the curtains drawn.

"Wheeler?" Gi called as she felt along the wall for the light switch. Gi found the switch and flipped the lights on the reveal an empty bed and a messy room. Wheeler's acoustic guitar rested atop his pillow and a pair of black jeans was sprawled across his bed. To his credit, Wheeler had gotten rid of the empty soda cans that had covered his room before he and Linka hooked up. Gi scratched her head in thought as she left the empty room. Gi walked down the hall and found Linka's room next to hers. Gi stopped in front of the door and knocked twice before calling out.

"Linka? Linka, you up?" Gi called.

"Not yet." Linka replied. It was obvious to Gi that Linka was still tired, and she didn't blame her. Life around the island had gotten quiet. No Eco-disasters for almost a month now.

"Well get up, I can't find Wheeler." Gi called out. "_If that didn't get Linka up, nothing_ _will"_ Gi thought to herself. Gi waited for an answer, and when none came, she decided that Linka had gone back to bed. Gi reached for the handle but stopped as a thought crept into her mind. Gi froze in place and felt a huge grin make its way to her face. Gi back away from the door and, feeling embarrassed at the scene that could have been for, made her way back top the kitchen and to the inevitable laughing from both Kwame and Ma-ti.

The sunlight shown brightly through the window and flooded the room with light. Wheeler sighed and looked at the woman lying in his arms. Wheeler gently brushed some strands of blonde hair out of her face and smiled. Linka slowly opened her eyes and smiled before closing them again.

"They're looking for me. Maybe I should leave and get us some breakfast." Wheeler said as he slowly sat up and rested against the back of the bed.

"They can look all they want, but you're staying here." Linka said, pulling Wheeler back onto the pillow. Before he could respond, Linka gently grazed her lips over his. Wheeler felt his heart skip a beat as the taste of Linka's honey flavored lips. Linka smiled and rested her head on Wheeler's chest; she knew he would stay as long as she wanted.

"Where do we go from here?" Linka asked into his chest. Whether it was Wheeler's warm body or Wheeler's arm around her shoulder or even the rhythmic beating of his heart, Linka was beginning to fall asleep again.

"Wherever out hearts take, Babe." Wheeler said, then kissed the top of Linka's head.

"Wheeler?" Linka whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Promise me you'll never leave. That we'll always be together." Linka said. Wheeler could tell that she was nervous. Wheeler smiled and felt his heart beat accelerate.

"Babe, Linka, nothing would make me happier. I'm never leaving you." Wheeler whispered into her ear.

"WHAT!" Kwame gasped after listening to Gi's report. Gi felt a grin cross her face as Kwame face went through a mix of different emotions.

"Are you surprised at all? I mean, it was bound to happen sooner or later." Ma-ti said with a grin as he sipped on his orange juice.

"Well, it's not surprising that it happened, just that they would. _Here_. With the rest of us still in the house." Kwame said with a laugh.

"They _do_ love each other. Not that I know much about it, but isn't…you know, sex, like the ultimate expression of love, short of marriage?" Ma-ti said, now deep in thought.

"I think so." Gi answered.

"How can you not know. Didn't you two, play battle ship last night." Kwame said, his voice full of innuendo.

"SHUT UP!" Ma-ti and Gi screamed at the same time.

"What, it was just a joke and…" Kwame stopped when Gi chucked a banana and hit him in the face.

"A banana? Are you joking?" Kwame asked, with a smirk.

"How about this?" Ma-ti said with an evil grin.

"No, Ma-ti! That's a grapefruit and it much harder than a bana…OUCH" Kwame said as the fruit collided with his chest.

"FOOD FIGHT!" Gi shouted as a piece of apple flew past her face. Soon, fruits, vegetable, and the occasional steak were flying across the room. Gi, Ma-ti, and Kwame all laughed hard as they dodged food after piece of flying food. After several minutes of produce chucking, the fighting slowed, then stopped all together.

"_PLANETEERS, WE HAVE TROUBLE IN NORTHERN PENNSILVANIA. REPORT TO THE CRYSTAL CHAMBER."_

"Damn. I was hoping for more time off." Gi complained as she brushed crushed eggplant from her shirt.

"So you can play more battle ship?" Kwame asked with a laugh, then took off in a sprint. Gi and Ma-ti both growled and sprinted after him.

"So Linka" Wheeler said as thought of the future entered his mind.

"Da?" Linka whispered with her eyes still closed.

"Does this mean we'll move in together?" Wheeler asked nervously. The idea had been floating around in his mind for awhile, and with the previous night's events, he was finally able to ask.

"Nyet." Linka whispered, but now with her eyes opened. The idea had crossed Linka's mind several times in the past weeks, and she always came up with the same answer.

"No!" Wheeler gasped, half shocked and half disappointed.

"One more month. Wait until we've been together for six months. Da?" Linka said with a smile.

"I'm going to hold you to that promise Babe." Wheeler said as he nudged Linka's forehead with his nose.

"Feel free to." Linka said seductively. Wheeler smiled and pressed his lips to hers. Linka reached up and gently stroked Wheeler's soft hair with her hands. Wheeler pulled away briefly and whispered in Linka's ear.

"You can call me William now." Linka smiled and pressed her lips against William's.

"_LINKA…AND WHEELER, WE HAVE TROUBLE. REPORT TO THE CRYSTAL CHAMBER"_ Gaia said appearing in the doorway. As soon as she saw Wheeler in the same bed, both Linka and Wheeler could tell she was pleased, but had no time for it now. With a groan, Linka and Wheeler both got out of bed and put their clothes back on.

"Boshe moy!" Linka cursed as she and Wheeler walked out into the hallway and made their way to the Crystal Room.

"Have a pleasant night?" Gi asked with a grin as Linka and Wheeler entered the Crystal Room where Gaia and the other Planeteers waited.

"Eventful." Linka whispered as she took a spot next to Gi.

"You're going to tell me everything when we get back." Gi whispered.

"Everything?" Linka said with an amused look on her face.

"Everything." Gi confirmed.

"_Planeteers, we have trouble in Pennsylvania. Dr. Blight is trying to bury hundreds of tons of toxic waste."_ Gaia informed then as the images of Dr. Blight and MAL flashed across the crystals. Soon they were replaced with images of yellow industrial canisters overflowing with toxic green sludge.

"With so much toxic waste in the ground, the entire habitat around that area is in danger of mutations and extinction." Gi gasped as she watched MAL use a giant crane to dump more waste into the ground.

"Where are they?" Wheeler asked, his anger mounting. Gaia sighed and the images pulled out to reveal a very familiar house.

"That's the…" Linka began.

"Orphanage." Kwame finished with his fists clutched.

"But why?" Ma-ti asked, his voice trembling.

"It's out of the city; Not many cops. And not many people adopt anymore, her operation could go unnoticed for weeks." Gi said with a cold edge in her voice.

"What about the orphans?" Wheeler asked behind clenched teeth.

"And Susan?" Kwame added, the worry in his voice plain.

"_I do not know. Dr. Blight most likely had them taken to one of her hideout. But your first task is to stop Blight's operation in its tracks."_ Gaia answered.

"Wheeler?" Kwame asked, looking at the American. Wheeler met his gaze and both could see the fiery anger in each other's eyes.

"Blights gone to far this time." Wheeler hissed.

"Agreed." Linka said angrily.

"Get on the ship, this end NOW!" Kwame said before storming off to the Geo-Cruiser. Linka and Wheeler shared glances and followed close behind Kwame. Gi and Ma-ti followed suit, both of them shocked and enraged in equal measures.

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WA-HA-HA! I have stopped it at a horrible point. This is getting good. Drama and such.

This story has a lot of potential now. Lets see how it goes in the next chapter.

Until next time….


	4. Chapter 4

Right, so here we are at Ch 4. I'm kind of sad at the turnout of reviews in the last chapter; 1. So, thanks to Miss Mango for loving my stories so much. Thank You!

The rest of you can learn something from Miss Mango's fine example.

If you love a story enough to review it, before it's done, you should at least read the chapter that follows the last one you read. Otherwise, you get the hopes of the writer up, making him/her think that more people love the story than actually do.

Anyway, enough about me, what happens to Linka and Wheeler? Read, and find out….

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Linka collapsed on her bed in exhaustion. She felt numb, like nothing in the world was real. And for the first time in her life, she wished it all was fake and she would wake up next to Wheeler any second. But, in her mind she knew it was real, and what had happened, no matter how horrible, was reality and no amount of wishing was going to change that. Linka tried her best not to think of the days events, but despite herself, it all came rushing back in a tidal wave of tears and sobs.

"_How long until we're at the orphanage?" Wheeler asked impatiently. _

"_Three minutes. Get ready; this might be a rough landing." Gi called from her pilot seat. Wheeler nodded grimly and looked out the window at the familiar landscape. Wheeler felt a soft, slightly cold hand move over his and squeeze tightly. Wheeler looked over to Linka and he could tell she was nervous._

"_Hey Babe, what's up? You don't look so good." Wheeler said in the nicest voice he could manage given the current situation._

"_I don't know; something isn't right. How could Blight find the orphanage without learning we visit it often. Surly she knows how much the children mean to us and how far we're willing to go to save them." Linka answered._

"_I hear ya'. Something here doesn't add up." Wheeler added. Ma-ti, who had been listening, nodded in agreement._

"_Something is wrong. I know it is." Linka said her voice quick and shaky. _

"_its okay, it's okay." Wheeler said, motioning with his arms for Linka to hug him. Linka smiled and gratefully let Wheeler wrap his arms around her. Normally, Linka would feel safe in Wheeler's arms, but something was still wrong._

"_Perhaps we should call Captain Planet before we land? That way we can end this quickly and nothing horrible will happen to any of us." Linka offered._

"_You know, that's not that bad of an idea. Is it any wonder I'm head over heels in love with you?" Wheeler asked playfully before kissing Linka gently. In the few short seconds of the kiss, Linka tried to absorb all of Wheeler courage and confidence on the situation as she could. After several seconds, Wheeler pulled away as Linka rested her head on his shoulder._

"_Hey Kwame, wanna' call the Captain before we land? Kinda' like so backup before we needed it._

"_Sounds like a good idea to me." Gi said as she looked to Kwame for confirmation._

"_Agreed." Kwame added, then pushed a button that opened the windows of the Geo-Cruiser. _

"_Earth!"_

"_Fire!"_

"_Wind!"_

"_Water!"_

"_Heart!"_

"_By your power combined, I am Captain Planet!"_

"_GO PLANET!"_

"_What seems to be the problem this time?" Captain Planet asked, flying close to the Geo-Cruiser so they could hear him._

"_Dr. Blight had kidnapped some orphans and is now dumping toxic waste into the ground." Gi yelled over the roar of the engines. Captain Planets face became stern, as if it had been hewed from stone. _

"_Guys, there's the orphanage." Ma-ti said grimly as he pointed out the window to an old wooden three story house._

"_Let's do this." Captain Planet said then flew past the Geo-Cruiser towards the orphanage. The Planeteers all nodded and prepared to land as Kwame took the ship down. As the Geo-Cruiser touched down, the door slid open and the Planeteers, with the exception of Gi, who needed to shut off the ship, leaped out of the cruiser and took off in a sprint to the orphanage. When the Planeteers arrived, they found Captain Planet pulling toxic waste out of the ground and piling it several feet away in an empty patch of grass._

"_Where's Blight? And MAL?" Wheeler asked, only slightly out of breath._

"_I don't know. I couldn't find them, so I decided getting this crud out of the ground was more important." Captain Planet answered as he placed another barrel of ooze in the pile._

"_Looking for me?" a very familiar voice asked from behind the Planeteers. Everyone spun on their heels and came face-to-face with Dr. Blight standing under a tree with a MAL in a hover unit floating next to her._

"_You're going to pay for what you did!" Kwame yelled, enraged._

"_No I'm not." Blight laughed as she reached behind her back and pulled out a silver pistol. With a click on the hammer, Blight aimed it at the shocked Planeteers._

"_You didn't think it would be that easy, did you? Look around you, we're in a forest. Why would I choose to dump toxic waste here, when the dumping it in the ocean would cause more damage. And for God's sake, I'm burying in the dirt, not pouring it over little bunnies and squirrels. It makes no sense, why would I come here?" Blight laughed as she walked out from under the tree._

"_It was a clever trap!" MAL said happily._

"_Thanks HAL, we managed to put it together." Wheeler said coldly._

"_It's MAL!" the computer yelled._

"_Yeah, whatever." Wheeler said absently._

"_Watch your tongue Firebug, or I'll blow it off." Blight warned as she trained the gun on Wheeler. Wheeler stopped talking but the anger remained in his eyes._

"_You forgot one thing Blight. Bullets may hurt us, but not Captain Planet!" Kwame said proudly as Captain Planet took off into the air and flew at Blight. MAL was in front of her in a second and a small barrel emerged from his hover unit and aimed at Captain Planet. With a small Crack and a flash a green, the gun fired at hit Captain square in the chest. Captain Planet involuntarily grunted in pain and fell to the ground with a THUMP._

"_Captain!" Gi screeched and ran to his aid._

"_Don't move!" Blight yelled angrily. Gi glared at her, but back up next to Ma-ti. _

"_What did you do to him?" Ma-ti demanded, his anger obvious._

"_Concentrated blast of radiation. Really nasty stuff too. He'll be in pain for a while." MAL informed them and Captain Planet continued to roll on the ground in pain._

"_Captain, return to our rings, the pain will stop." Gi said, almost in tears._

"_I'm….I'm sorry.." Captain Planet said over the pain. With a flash of light, Captain Planet disappeared and the Planeteer's rings started to glow again._

"_Now that he's out of the way, let's go inside and see how those useless kids are doing." Blight said, motioning over to the house._

"_What have you done to them!" Kwame demanded._

"_Relax, they're just inside. However, the place is rigged to blow on command." Blight said happily as she pulled out a small silver cylinder with a bright red, flashing button in it. As the Planeteers walked in, they found several off MAL remote controlled robot warriors standing guard over Susan and the others._

"_Have a seat." Blight said with an evil grin. Kwame sat down next to Susan, and Wheeler choose a spot that put him closest to the most orphans._

"_You guys okay?" Wheeler asked, his voice close to a whisper._

"_She threw away the Baseball you gave me." Ryan said sadly._

"_Don't worry, we'll find it." Wheeler said to cheer up the boy._

"_She put it in that pile of green stuff outside." Ryan informed him._

"_Ah…okay, we'll buy a new one. And we'll get mitts for everyone." Wheeler promised. Ryan smiled and nodded happily._

"_MAL, tie them up." Blight said, sickened by the "nice" emotions the Planeteers expressed. MAL nodded and several of his lackeys approached the Planeteers with rope in hand._

"_Ryan?" Wheeler said grimly._

"_Yeah?" Ryan asked, looking up at Wheeler._

"_RUN!" Wheeler roared and he sprung from his feet and tackled the robot approaching him. Ryan and the other orphans stood and sprinted out the door._

"_Ma-ti, Susan, go with them, make sure they get to the Geo-Cruiser." Kwame bellowed as he smashed a robot to the ground with a stone. Ma-ti nodded and followed Susan outside._

"_Don't let them get away." Blight screeched as she desperately fired at the Planeteers. One bullet whizzed by Linka arm and left a bleeding cut in her shoulder. Three robots stopped firing laser and began to run to the door._

"_WATER!" Gi yelled and unleashed a tidal wave that smashed the robots to the ground. With several small snaps, the robot short-circuited. _

"_Let's get out of here!" Blight yelled as she dropped her empty pistol to the ground. _

"_Not this time." Wheeler yelled, then leapt of the fleeing Blight. With strength Wheeler didn't know Blight had, the two began to wrestle on the floor._

"_Wheeler get the remote…AHHH" Gi screamed as a laser burned a small hole in her chest. Linka screamed and ran over to the unconscious Gi. With a grunt of pain, Linka lifted Gi off the ground and made for the exit._

"_I'll cover you. EARTH!" Kwame yelled and watched with some satisfaction as a wave of rocks beat several robots into the wall._

"_Reinforcements!" MAL yelled over the commotion. Several door burst open as more gold colored robots charged in, laser blazing. Kwame ducked as laser flew over his head and hit the curtain. The curtains burst in flames and soon, the desk below them was also a flame._

"_Wheeler, we need to go, this place is on fire." Kwame yelled to the still wrestling Wheeler._

"_No point in holding back anymore. FIRE!" Wheeler yelled and a stream of fire melted robots firing at Kwame. But Wheeler had forgotten about Blight and she took advantage of it. With a CRACK, Blight brought the control down on Wheeler's head. _

"_Wheeler!" Kwame yelled as he watched his friend fall to the ground._

"_WILLIAM" Linka yelled, running back into the building. Linka saw Wheeler struggling to get his bearings on the floor and she ran to him. When she was only ten feet away, some of the roof gave out and flaming wood burst through the top floor and blocked Linka's path. _

"_WILLIAM!" Linka screeched as she desperately looked for him on the other side of the flames._

"_LINKA!" Kwame yelled as more robots charged from upstairs. One robot ran to Linka before she noticed and smashed its gun across her face. With a yell of rage, Kwame tackled it and scooped Linka up in his arms. Because he was taller, Kwame saw Dr. Blight pulling the bleeding form of Wheeler out from under a pile of wood and drag his to the back exit. Kwame frowned and was going to follow, but the robots kept firing and caused the fire to spread faster then it should. _

"_We will get you back, I promise." Kwame said grimly then ran out of the flaming room. As Kwame sprinted across the yard, he looked up and saw Blight's purple get take off and speed off to the north. To his surprise, her found Gi ducking under a tree as lasers flew over his head and dinged of the Geo-Cruiser._

"_Where's Susan?" Kwame asked, noticing the lack of his girlfriend._

"_They took her." Ma-ti said pointing at the few robots at the far corner of the orphanage._

"_WHAT! HOW! HOW COULD YOU LET THEM!" Kwame yelled, barely able to control his rage._

"_It wasn't my fault! One of them had a jump pack and if flew in and grabbed her and Ryan!" Ma-ti yelled over the SNAP of laser. _

"_EARTH!" Kwame roared and sent jagged rocks flying towards the robots. With a horrible CRACK, the robots fell over with fits sized holes in their chests._

"_Will…William?" Linka whispered as she regained consciousness. Linka glanced at the flaming orphanage just in time to watch it collapse from the fire._

"_WILLIAM!" Linka screeched hysterically. _

"_Linka!" Kwame gasped then ran over to her._

"_He's…he's dead…dead!" Linka sobbed._

"_No…never. He wasn't in the building." Kwame said firmly._

"_Wh…what?" Linka asked as tear fell from her face._

"_He wasn't inside. Blight saved him from the fire and took him on her ship. Along with Susan and young Ryan." Kwame said as tears of his own formed._

"_Boshe Moy…We…we have to get him back." Linka sobbed._

"_We will, we will." Kwame said as he fiercely hugged Linka._

"_Guys, we need to get Gi back to back to Hope Island!" Ma-ti yelled from inside the Geo-Cruiser._

"_Come on." Kwame said, then dashed into the cruiser. Linka followed and found the orphans sitting quietly in the chairs and some on the floor. Linka found Gi and Ma-ti in the small medic room in the back. Gi was on the table and Ma-ti was busy apply gauze to her stomach._

"_How is she?" Linka asked, still dizzy from the gun smash._

"_I've stopped the bleeding, but I need more supplies if I'm going to properly treat her." Ma-ti said. By his tone of voice, it was obvious to Linka he was exhausted._

"_Anything I can do to help?" Linka asked. They had all finished the same first-aid program, but Ma-ti had gotten the highest grade._

"_Take care of the little ones." Ma-ti said, gesturing to the orphans. Linka nodded and walked over to them._

"_Where are we going?" Jessica asked._

"_Where's Wheeler?" Mark asked._

"_Where's Susan?" Julia asked._

"_Where's Ryan?" Bobby asked._

"_Where're going some place safe. As for the others…that lady took them." Linka answered, trying not to cry._

"_Blight?" Mathew asked. Linka nodded and slumped on the wall next to them. As she sat down, all the kids stood and quickly made their way over to her and snuggled as close at the could to her._

"_Miss Linka?" Megan asked, her voice barely above a whisper._

"_Da?" Linka asked, her eye closed as she rested against the cold wall._

"_Is life like a fairy tale? Is there a happy ending to all of this?" Megan asked, not sure if she wanted to really know._

"_I hope so…I really hope so." Linka said as one last tear fell down her face and she fell asleep…._

Reality swam back into focus and the tears stopped falling down her face. Gi was in stable condition and Ma-ti had stitched up her arm where the bullet had cut. Kwame was still angry, but more at himself instead of at Blight. Gaia was taking care of the orphans; because of her age, she had an almost unlimited number of stories to tell. The crystal room had been turned into a sleeping room for all the kids, who snuggled tightly under blankets as Gaia told them stories she knew would warm their tired hearts. Gaia had personally asked to help them; she felt that having such innocents around would help her at such a trying time. Linka closed her eyes tightly and tired to pretend she was in Wheeler's arms as she drifted into another nightmare filled sleep….

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Sniffle That was sad…I hope you didn't cry as much as I did…stay tuned for the next chapter. Most likely it'll be a dream chapter with all sorts of dreams from the Planeteers and maybe even Susan and key orphans.

Until Next time…..honestly


	5. Chapter 5

OMG! So sorry! My computer totally went ape-shit virus on me. Fucking viruses! Anyway, everything is better now. WOOT!

As promised, this is the Dream Chapter. The chapter is sort of an intermission in the story. It will be several dreams had by the characters the night after the orphanage attack and one dream I just wanted to throw in for fun. You'll know which one I'm talking about when you read it.

Let's get this story going again!

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"Linka? Linka are you ready?" Gi asked, knocking on the door. Linka looked herself over in the mirror one last time. The white gown hung gracefully from her shoulders and flowed down to her ankles. Her pearl white shoes matched the dotted flow pattern on her dress. From her neck hung a small golden necklaces with a sparkling sapphire shaped like a rain drop. Linka felt her heart flutter as she thought of what was going to happen in only a few short minutes. Then, for seemingly no reason at all, Linka felt nervous. She was really going to do this; she was really going to get married. Married; the word rang in her head like the church bells did outside.

"Da." Linka said her voice parley above a whisper.

"What?" Gi asked.

"Da!" Linka said happily as she overcame her nervousness. Gi opened the door and smiled widely at Linka.

"How do I look?" Linka asked, spinning around once.

"Like of Goddess, but you're only missing one thing." Gi said with a grin.

"Boshe Moy! What did I forget?" Linka gasped as she desperately looked herself over.

"This." Gi said as she gently placed the veil over Linka's head. Linka smiled at officially announced herself ready. Linka turned and face Gi and two other bride's maid who followed her in. Gi, Gaia and the now sixteen year old Megan all wore the same scarlet red strapless dress. The black high heels they each wore matched perfectly with the dress and the golden circular earrings they each wore finished the outfit.

"Let's do this!" Megan said as she struggled to contain her excitement. Linka nodded and followed the three out into the front on the church. As Linka approached, she found Captain Planet waiting in a tuxedo. He smiled and gave Linka and fierce hug.

"I always knew this day would come. Are you ready?" Captain Planet asked as he let go of Linka.

"Da." Linka answered. Captain Planet nodded and held out his arm. Linka eagerly took it and the six brides-maids, with Gi in the lead, took their place behind them. (Yes, she has six of them. I only introduced three.)

Linka heard the organ begin to play, as the two large wooden doors slowly opened. With Captain Planet at her side, Linka began the walk down the isle. For her, it seemed like the longest walk ever, but she didn't mind. It gave her time to look at everyone present. As Linka looked around the church, she noticed Ma Ti's family as well as Kwame's. Finally, in the front row stood her cousins and her brother Mishka along with Wheeler's parents. Linka notice the unmistakable glimmer of tears in Mishka's eyes. At the front of the church stood Fr. Christopher, Wheeler's uncle who had known him since day one. He had been only too happy to perform their marriage. Next to him stood Kwame and Wheeler, both of whom starred at Linka as she approached them like some Greek Goddess. Linka took her place next to Wheeler and Captain Planet walked off to the side and stood next to Gaia. Wheeler winked at Linka and slid his hand around hers.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of William and Linka. I still find it hard to believe how quickly they both have grown up. I remember holding William as a little baby at his first Christmas. I was there for his first Christmas, and I was there the Christmas he proposed. I have never been so proud of him in all my life. The only time that came close was when I saw him on the news after saving an entire school in Cuba from a hurricane. And now here I stand, in front of two people who had found love and happiness. I don't think God himself could have picked a better partner from my nephew. Linka is the strongest woman I have ever met. She is a brilliant, powerful, brave, and loving woman who has devoted her life to this man. She also bears a ring the can summon tornados." The gathered guest laughed at Fr. Christopher's last comment, at least everyone who wasn't wiping tears from their eyes.

"In all seriousness though, you two are the kindest, most caring, and loving people I have ever met. William, you are the most reckless person I have ever met, and Linka, you are the only person I've met who loves William for it." This time, Linka and Wheeler both laughed.

"When William first came to me and asked me to perform his wedding, I nearly fainted. And now, here he stands, seven months from that day, in front of family and friends with the most beautiful woman in the world standing by his side. Let's hope that throughout your life, she will always be there. Always ready to protect you, laugh with you, and cry with you." Wheeler felt a small tear forming in his eyes and Fr. Christopher continued.

"And Linka…look after this boy." Christopher finished, winking at Linka. Linka, along with everyone behind her, laughed.

"As I understand it, Linka and William have written their own vows, which they will now…um…vow." Christopher said with a shrug. Again, people laughed.

On cue, Wheeler took Linka's hands in his and began, "I, William Sloane, take you, Linka Ivanov, to be my lawfully wedded wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live." As Wheeler finished, Linka felt a handful of tears roll down her cheeks.

With Wheeler's finished, Linka took a deep breath, and stared directly into Wheeler's loving eyes and spoke. "I, Linka Ivanova, take you William Sloane to be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live." As she finished, it was all Wheeler could do not to kiss her right then and there.

"The rings, please." Fr. Christopher said, nodding to both Kwame and Gi. Linka and Wheeler took the rings and couldn't help but smile when there eyes met.

"William; with this ring I pledge my love and commitment." Christopher said, his voice echoing in the church.

"With this ring I pledge my love and commitment." Wheeler repeated as he gently placed the ring on Linka's finger.

"Linka; with this ring I pledge my love and commitment." Christopher said as he fought tears from his eyes.

"With the ring I pledge my love and commitment." Linka said, her Russian accent sounding beautiful as it echoed.

"Then by the authority vested in me by the State of New York, witnessed by your friends and family, I have the pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife. William, you may kiss the bride." Fr. Christopher finished as he closed his bible and put it in his pocket. Wheeler smiled and slowly cupped Linka's face in his hand and slowly moved in, savoring the moment. Linka slowly closed her eyes and tilted forward. Time seemed to stop as their lips met and a roar of applause filled the church. Linka could feel the love behind Wheeler's kiss stronger than she ever had. Before she knew it, she had her arms around his neck and her tongue in his mouth. As the applause grew in intensity, so too did the kiss. Linka poured her entire soul into the kiss, making sure that ever last ounce of love she had for Wheeler was driving her lips onto his…

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"CANNONBALL!" Gi screamed as she leapt into the air and splashed into the water, covering Wheeler and Linka in water. Even though they had been sharing a kiss, Gi couldn't help her self as she saw them sitting next to the water, oblivious to the world around them.

"GI!" Wheeler yelled with mock anger and dove into the water after her. Linka giggled and followed him into the water. As she looked around, she saw Wheeler swimming after Gi, who was several yard ahead of him.

Gi couldn't help but laugh as she heard Wheeler and Linka both shouting at her. Oddly enough, she heard them as clearly as if the where on dry land. But Gi didn't care much; she was having way too much fun. As Gi kept swimming, something slowly made its way into her mind.

"Wait!" She called out to the two lovers following her. Both Wheeler and Linka stopped and starred at Gi, both obviously confused.

"I heard that perfectly." Wheeler said astonished.

"Da…I did as well." Linka added.

"That's not important. Look at your watches! We've been under water for over four minutes now! And I don't feel at all out of breath. In fact…" Gi took a deep breath and slowly exhaled and watched the air bubble float to the surface.

"We can breathe underwater!" Wheeler gasped. Linka was just as shocked as Wheeler but Gi was happy beyond words.

"This is awesome…its…it's a miracle!" Gi exclaimed as she happily did a flip.

"Let's think about this for a moment, before we attribute this to a God." Linka said, ready to tackle this mystery full force.

"Why?" Wheeler asked as he starred at Linka.

"Well, what if this ability goes away and we…"Linka never got a chance to finish because Wheeler had placed his lips on hers. Linka's eye widened for only a second before she started kissing back. Before it could go too far, Wheeler pulled back and kissed her nose.

"Let it go this time Babe. Just enjoy it." Wheeler whispered. Linka smiled and leaned her head and rested it on his chest. Wheeler looked at Gi and winked. Gi stifled a giggle as Wheeler moved his hand down and rested it on Linlka's hip. Linka gasped and jumped back and covered her flaming red face.

"Wheeler! No here! We are under water!" Linka said angrily and she jabbed a finger at him.

"But what about that time in Hawaii when we…" Wheeler began but stopped when Linka put a hand over his mouth and glared at him.

"Dirty girl." Gi said with a smirk. Linka felt her face flare bright red, but couldn't help but smile.

"It was his idea." Linka said pointing to Wheeler.

"It takes two to tango." Gi countered then laughed. Wheeler laughed too, and soon Linka found herself laughing.

"This is crazy," Gi thought to herself, "here I am underwater, laughing with my friends."

"HELP ME! PLEASE HELP!" A voice screamed from behind Gi. Gi turned as quickly as she could and gasped. Swimming towards them at full speed was a dolphin.

"Umm…okay." Wheeler said as he starred at the approaching dolphin.

"Please, you have to help me!" The dolphin said, but the words seemed to be more telepathic than actually from its mouth.

"A talking dolphin?" Linka gasped.

"Who are you?" Gi asked, also as shocked as the others.

"My name is Otto and I need your help." Otto responded.

"Why? What's wrong?" Linka asked.

"My sister, Cisa, is trapped in a fishermen's net! Please help." Otto responded franticly.

"Oh my God..." Gi gasped, then looked at her two friends. Both of them nodded to her and frowned. Gi turned to Otto and nodded.

"Follow me!" Otto said, then turned tail and began swimming. Much to their surprise, the Planeteers could easily keep up with Otto. Soon, the reached the crest of a mighty valley and saw in the distance a boat floating on the surface with a mesh net floating in the water. As they swam towards them, Gi looked down into the valley and smiled. Hundreds of fish swam in harmony in and around a choral reef. The sunlight shining from above gave the scene an angelic look to it, and Gi could help but have her breath taken away by the sight.

As Gi neared the net, she saw an entire school of tuna and one lone dolphin caught in the net.

"Boshe Moy! This cannot be. They are not allowed to fish in this area!" Linka said angrily. Gi nodded and looked around for anything to cut the net with. Her eyes landed on a sharp rock at the several yards bellow her. Gi instantly began swimming, and extended her hand as she neared the rock. The rock was lighter than it should have been, but Gi wasn't complaining. Gi swam back to the neck and found Wheeler desperately pulling down on the net so it couldn't go up, but he was losing. Gi smiled grimly as Wheeler bought her several seconds to get the rock.

"Please help me." Cisa said from behind the net.

"Don't worry. We'll get you." Gi said, then slid the rock under the net and pulled. Several of the cords broke, and instantly the hole grew as the sounds of tuna forced their way out. Cisa was the last out, and swam up next to Gi and rubbed her nose against Gi cheek lovingly.

"Thank you so much!" Cisa said.

"No problem." Gi laughed as the dolphin showed her affection. After several seconds of laughing, Cisa swam over to Otto and the two exchanged the dolphin form of a hug.

"Now, let's deal with these criminals!" Linka said angrily.

"Right, I distract them. Gi, you swim up behind them and soak them." Wheeler said as he swam to the surface.

"Linka go with him." Gi said as she swam to the opposite side of the boat. Linka swam after Wheeler who was already at the surface and shouting.

"HELP ME! I CAN'T SWIM!" Wheeler said, faking fear and throwing his arms around wildly in the air.

"Captain, what do we do?" One of the sailors asked.

"We can't have any witnesses to out operation here. Disposes of that most unlucky man." The Captain said with a gesture of his hand, then returned to his cabin. Two of the sailors approached the side of the boat holding harpoon guns. The first sailor to aim and fired, but Wheeler dogged at the last second. The second sailor fired, and this time Wheeler was not as lucky. The blade scrapped across his unprotected body and put a deep cut in his shoulder. Wheeler instantly put his hand to his shoulder and yelled in pain.

"WHEELER!" Linka screamed and blood started to flow from the cut.

"WATER!" Gi screamed from the opposite side of the boat. The sailors turned around in time to see a wall of water smash into their faces. Everyone was tossed of board and landed several yards away.

"Wheeler, are you okay?" Linka asked, worried out of her mind.

"I'm…I'm…fine." Wheeler gasped as he moved his hand off of his shoulder. To Linka and his surprise the blood was gone and only a small mark was left where the cut had been.

"It's…it's a miracle." Linka laughed as she hugged Wheeler fiercely. Gi smiled then turned her attention to the floating sailors. A grin formed on her lips as she thought of the only thing anyone can say in this situation.

"Looks like you boys are all washed up!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------

"The pressure is on. We're down by one, with two outs. One man on second and now it's up to me to bring home the win. This time, no points for second place. This is the sate finals, and I'm going to get that trophy." Ryan thought to himself as he approached home plate holding his bat. Ryan looked around and heard the calm silence as two entire schools of students and their parents starred at him.

"NOW BATTING, NUMBER NINE, RYAN MESTGER!" The announcer said over the loud speaker.

"Ready to go son" The elderly Irish umpire asked as Ryan approached.

"As I'll ever be sir." Ryan answered with a faint smile.

"Well, go luck to ya'." The umpire said with a smile.

"Yeah, he'll need it." The catcher said with a sneer. Ryan ignored him and took his position. He lifted his bat and waited. It seemed like the entire world was holding it's breath as Ryan waited.

"This is the worst part. The calm." Ryan whispered as he waited for what seemed like an eternity.

"Yeah, I hate this part too." The catcher said. Ryan looked at him and nodded, then he felt the back of his head rise up. Ryan spun is head around and saw the ball spiraling towards him.

"Son of a Bitch, he tricked me." Ryan cursed as he readied himself. Time seemed to slow down and the ball approached. Ryan swung the bat and waited for the sound of the ball hitting the catcher's mitt, but it never came. Ryan opened his eyes and saw the ball flying towards his bat. Ryan held his breath as the ball closed in on his bat.

CRACK

The bat struck the ball and sent if flying into center field. Bobby, Ryan's older brother who was on second started to sprint as the ball flew past him. The ball landed wit a roll and was picked up by the center-field's man and thrown. Ryan was sprinting like has never sprinted before. He only had seconds to make it. Ryan stole a look at home in time to see Bobby run over the plat and throw his arms into the air.

Ryan felt his breath coming to him in heaves. From his own personal world, the roar of the crowd seem distant and silent. Only three things existed; himself, the ball, and the catcher at home. As Ryan cleared second base, the ball came to the shorts stop, who threw it too late to the third baseman. Ryan had already passed him and was sprinting home. The ball flew over his head and was caught by the young man waiting at home. Ryan felt his gut turned and he threw his legs in front of him and slid on the ground. A dust cloud surrounded him as he touched first base. The catcher reacted as fast as he could and brought the ball down. The world seemed to freeze and Ryan felt his heart in his chest almost explode.

"This is it. Either I'm the hero, or the goat. Am I safe, or am I out? Will I go home tonight with a trophy, or in tears? Will I have my name in the year book as the man who won the game, or the guy who blew it?" Ryan thought to himself as time started up again.

"SAFE!" The umpire yelled as he cut his arms in front of his chest. The sound of the crowd rose up like a storm. Ryan sighed and let himself breath again. Ryan started to laugh, and fell to the ground with his arms and legs spread. Ryan saw his entire team run out of the dugout and towards him. Ryan gasped as his teammates lifted him off the ground and carried him back to the dugout. Ryan couldn't help but laugh as he saw some the toughest guys in his school laughing and roaring his name. Ryan caught Megan looking at him and nodded to her. Megan blushed and gave him a seductive wink before clapping again. As the team set him on the ground, Ryan was given hugs, high-fives, backslaps and all other kinds of gestures of approval. Even Scott, the guy who normally hated Ryan, lifted him off the ground and spun him in the air. Ryan couldn't do anything but laugh along with his team.

"RYAN!" Shouted a familiar voice. Ryan spun on his heels and smiled his trademark toothy grin.

"Yeah Coach?" Ryan asked with a smirk. His coach approached him and stood in front of him for several seconds.

"Way to go Ryan. You did it. You won the game!" Wheeler said proudly as he embraced Ryan in a fierce hug.

"Thanks…Dad." Ryan said and rested his head on Wheeler's shoulder.

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"Okay Boys, it's your turn!" Gi laughed as she sat down and sipped her drink. Ma Ti, Wheeler and Kwame looked at each other and gulped.

"What song should we do?" Kwame asked. Gi had just finished **Don't Stop Me Now** by Queen.

"Hmm…I got it. Come on!" Ma Ti said with a smile then ran on to the stage. Wheeler and Kwame looked at each other, shrugged, and followed Ma Ti.

"Okay guys, just follow me, and keep up." Ma Ti said with a grin.

"Wait, are we dancing? What dance?" Kwame asked nervously.

"You'll know…HIT IT!" Ma Ti yelled as he pointing into the darkness beyond the spotlight.

**Young man, there's no need to feel down.  
I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground.  
I said, young man, 'cause you're in a new town  
There's no need to be unhappy.  
**

The crowd roared the approval as the three Planeteers leaned back and pointed at each person individually.

**Young man, there's a place you can go.  
I said, young man, when you're short on your dough.  
You can stay there, and I'm sure you will find**   
**Many ways to have a good time.  
**  
**It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a.  
It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a.  
**

As Kwame, Wheeler, and Ma Ti danced, several of the people in the crowd stood and followed them. Ma Ti couldn't help but laugh as he danced to each letter.

**They have everything for you men to enjoy,  
You can hang out with all the boys ...**

It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a.  
It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a.  


"Come on girls!" Wheeler screamed over the music. Linka and Gi smiled and jumped onto the stage and danced along.

**You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal,  
You can do what about you feel ...**

Young man, are you listening to me?  
I said, young man, what do you want to be?  
I said, young man, you can make real your dreams.  
But you got to know this one thing!  


The roar from the crowd was almost deafening but somehow, they could still hear the music. Gaia suddenly appeared next to Linka and smiled at the surprised Planeteer and started to dance along.

**No man does it all by himself.  
I said, young man, put your pride on the shelf,   
And just go there, to the y.m.c.a.  
I'm sure they can help you today.**

It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a.  
It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a.  


Out of nowhere, Captain Planet landed on the stage next to Gi and laughed loudly as he joined them dancing.

**They have everything for you men to enjoy,  
You can hang out with all the boys ...**

It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a.  
It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a.

You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal,  
You can do what about you feel ...

Young man, I was once in your shoes.  
I said, I was down and out with the blues.  
I felt no man cared if I were alive.  
I felt the whole world was so tight ...  


Several people from the crowd jumped on stage and took places next to the Planeteers and danced like there was no tomorrow.

**That's when someone came up to me,  
And said, young man, take a walk up the street.  
There's a place there called the y.m.c.a.  
They can start you back on your way.**

It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a.   
It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a.  


"Come on! Everybody do it!" Ma Ti yelled. Everyone who wasn't standing stood and danced along, laughing their heads off.

**They have everything for you men to enjoy,  
You can hang out with all the boys ...**

Y-m-c-a ... you'll find it at the y-m-c-a.

Young man, young man, there's no need to feel down.  
Young man, young man, get yourself off the ground.

Y-m-c-a ... you'll find it at the y-m-c-a.  


"Come on, you all know the words!" Ma Ti yelled, and was answered with several girls screaming at the top off their lungs, and the guys roaring their approval.

**Young man, young man, there's no need to feel down.  
Young man, young man, get yourself off the ground.**

Y-m-c-a ... just go to the y-m-c-a. 

Young man, young man, are you listening to me?  
Young man, young man, what do you wanna be?

As the song died down, the crowd stopped dancing and clapped viscously. Ma Ti was laughing so hard, he couldn't see. Everyone around him was laughing and clapping. Briefly he saw Linka kiss Wheeler, and although he was happy from them, it didn't affect him at the time. Ma Ti threw his hands into the air and yelled as loud as he could as fireworks began to explode behind him. As the crowd roared the Planeteers, Captain Planet and Gaia all locked arms and took a bow.

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That Chapter Rocked! If I do say so myself. I really hope you guys/gals think that chapter was worth the wait.

Until Next Time….


	6. Chapter 6

Right, let's keep this story going with Ch 6. I hope you guys/gals liked the last chapter…'twas a good chapter.

And thanks to all who reviewed my last chapter…you guys just rock!

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"Do you think it will work?"

"Of course MAL Baby, now finish those calculations and calibrate the machine to Firebug's brain waves."

Wheeler slowly opened his eyes and found a bright light shining over him. He tried to move his arm to block it, but found that a cold metal restraint stopped him. Wheeler suddenly became aware that his whole body hurt like nothing he had ever felt before. It was all he could do to keep from crying out in pain. Without thinking, Wheeler bit his lip to relieve some of the pain, and didn't stop even after he tasted coppery blood in his mouth. As the blood filled his mouth, Wheeler cocked his head to one side and coughed up a large amount of blood.

"Well well, it looks like the American is awake." Said an all too familiar robotic voice.

"Poor little thing." Blight said sarcastically, "He must be in a world of pain."

"I really hope so. The little bastard destroyed more than half of my robots." MAL said angrily.

"MAL, be a dear and dope the boy up. I don't want him screaming during the operation." Blight said as she typed something into a nearby computer. Wheeler felt a sharp pain in his arm followed by a cold, relaxing sensation throughout his body. His vision became to blur and the world seemed to slow down. Wheeler tried to speak, but it came out as a jumble of slurs and mumbles.

"Ready to begin MAL Baby?" Blight asked as Wheeler's eyes began to darken.

"Let's get to work," MAL answered, "Ha, those Planet Punks will never know what hit them."

"Yes they will. They'll know exactly what hit them, but they be burning too much to do anything about it." Blight answered as Wheeler's mind slipped into a black abyss.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Linka awoke with a start. Her white t-shirt clung tightly to her chest and her breath was coming to her in gasps. Cold sweat rolled down her cheeks and dripped off her chin. It was the third time this night she had woken up from the same dream. It always started with a walk on the beach with Wheeler. They held hands and talked of plans for the future. From what Linka remembered, they had been engaged during the dream. Then everything would go wrong. A large tidal wave would rise from the sea and smash into the shore. Linka shivered as she recalled the image of Wheeler desperately trying to stay afloat and the pain she felt when she watched his head go under and never resurface.

Linka slowly pried herself out of the wet bed and walked into the bathroom. Linka splashed cold water on her face and waited for her breathing to return to normal. When she felt normal again, Linka walked over to her closet and put on a pair of black jeans and a bright green t-shirt and matching shoes. Linka walked out into the hallway and suppressed a tear as she passed Wheeler's room. She heard talking coming from the kitchen and decided she needed some company. Linka found Kwame and Ma Ti talking quietly in the kitchen, but they stopped when they noticed that she had walked in.

"Hey, feeling better Linka?" Ma Ti asked as Linka poured herself a glass of orange juice.

"Da. But it's still….you know. Hard without him around." Linka confessed as she sipped on her drink.

"You were really a mess last night." Kwame added as an afterthought.

"Any luck at finding Wheeler?" Linka asked, ignoring Kwame's comment.

"Gaia has been meditating all morning. She hopes to find him soon, then we can go…" Ma Ti began

"Rescue him, and make that Blight monster pay." Linka said, not even trying to hide the venom in her voice. Kwame was surprised at Linka's tone of voice, but nodded his approval. An uncomfortable silence fell over the three as they finished their drinks.

"Where are the others?" Linka asked, unable to stand the silence.

"Gaia is in the Crystal Chamber, Gi is out with the orphans on the beach. It's amazing, after a good nights sleep, those kids are ready to run around and play all day. Except for Bobby. He's been sort of out of it since Ryan was kidnapped. Gi's been trying to help his cope with the loss." Kwame said sadly.

"And how about you? How are you coping with the loss?" Linka asked, careful not to push the subject too far.

"It's only temporary. We'll have Susan, Ryan and Wheeler back before the end of the week." Kwame said firmly.

"Are you sure?" Linka asked, hoping to catch some of Kwame confidence.

"I'm sure." Kwame said with a gentle look in his eyes.

"But what if we can't find…"

"Linka! By the end of the week. No later!" Kwame said, all traces of gentleness gone. Now his eyes burned with a fierce certainty that brooked no argument. Linka nodded slowly, put her cup in the sink, and exited the house. Linka made her way to the beach where she found Gi along with the orphans running around playing a game of Ultimate Frisbee. The only one who was not playing was Bobby, who sat alone in the shade of a palm tree. Linka slowly made her way over to Bobby and sat down next to him.

"How…um…how are you holding up?" Linka asked, trying not to upset him.

"It's just not the same without him." Bobby said quietly.

"No, it never is," Linka said sadly, thinking of her own lost love, "But, let me ask you this. Would Ryan want you to stop having fun because he's not around."

"Well…" Bobby began.

"Nyet. He would want you to have fun," Linka said with a fake smile, "How many times have you gone outside to play while Susan took care of Ryan when he was sick?"

"Well, lots of times." Bobby said, he glum mood vanishing.

"Just pretend that he's sick, and go have some fun with your friends." Linka said with a nod towards the kids on the beach. Bobby smiled and gave Linka a quick hug before sprinting off to his friends. As Bobby entered the game, Gi looked over to where he had been sitting and smiled. Gi ran over to Linka and sat down next to her.

"How are you doing?" Gi immediately asked.

"I've been better. I feel…alone without him." Linka responded slowly.

"So…we never talked about the night you spent with him," Gi said with a smirk, "How was it?" Linka looked at her and smiled sadly.

"Prodigious" Linka said with a small tint of red in her cheeks.

"Prodigious? What the hell does prodigious mean?" Gi asked, annoyed at Linka's choice of words.

"Extraordinary; marvelous." Linka said perspicaciously.

"It also means to be large in size, or great in force." Gi said with a smirk. Linka blushed furiously at her friends mind game.

"That's the second definition." Linka said, trying to hide the red in her cheeks.

"It's the first." Gi said simply. Linka smiled bitterly and made a mental note to get Gi back for this.

"Who's counting?" Linka countered slyly. Gi laughed and gave Linka a hug.

"_Gi Linka come quickly! I have found them!_" Gaia voice echoed in their heads. Linka smiled and looked at Gi before sprinting off to the Crystal Chamber. Linka found Kwame, Ma Ti, and Gaia in the crystal room waiting for her. As she entered, she noticed Kwame looked happy and smiled at her.

"Where are they?" Linka asked as Gi ran into the room. Gaia nodded and summoned image of the world on the crystals and zoomed in on the Atlantic Ocean. The image zoomed in until the Planeteers saw a grey steel block floating in the ocean.

"Here, Dr. Blight's newest fortress. One hundred miles off the coast of Montréal. It should be heavily guarded so be careful, we can't afford to loss another Planeteer." Gaia said firmly.

"We couldn't afford the loss of last one." Kwame said sadly.

"Da…I could not." Linka whispered as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"When do we leave?" Gi asked.

"Immediately. Get aboard the Geo-Cruiser and get Wheeler, Ryan, and Susan back." Gaia said as the image faded from the crystals. The Planeteers filed out of the Chamber and made their way to the Geo-Cruiser hanger.

With a roar of the engine, the Geo-Cruiser took flight with Kwame at the controls and Linka sitting next to him. Linka was looking quietly out the window and day-dreaming of Wheeler and what she might do to Dr. Blight if he was hurt in anyway.

"Are we there yet?" Ma Ti asked from the seat behind Kwame.

"This is a five hour flight, and I swear to God, if you ask that question one more time…" Kwame trailed off, letting Ma Ti's imagination fill in the blank. Linka looked at the clock and calculated that it would be nighttime when they arrived.

"Might as well grab a couple hours of sleep." Linka thought to herself as she closed her eyes and rested her head on the back of her seat….

_Linka slowly opened her eyes and realized that a warm arm was wrapped around her waist. Linka looked over and saw Wheeler holding a book in one had and reading to himself. The book was titled The Pirates; in an adventure with Scientist.(Funniest book EVER written) Wheeler seemed to sense Linka's gaze and looked over to her._

"_Mornin' Babe." Wheeler said cheerfully before kissing her gently on the forehead._

"_Good morning Yank." Linka said as she rested her head on his chest._

"_So, what are your plans for today?" Wheeler asked as he turned his attention back to his book._

"_Sleep in for as long as possible." Linka said with a content smile._

"_I think my personality has rubbed off on you." Wheeler said with a chuckle._

"_After last night's performance, I would not be surprised." Linka said seductively._

"_You liked that?" Wheeler asked proudly._

"_Da." Linka said as she listened to Wheeler's heart beating calmly in his chest. A silence fell between the two, but they didn't mind. They loved each other to the point where they could share a silence without being uncomfortable. It had taken Wheeler several weeks to get used to silence, but he had managed it._

_KNOCK KNOCK._

"_Linka, it's time for you to wake up." Kwame said from behind the door. Linka frowned and snuggled closer to Wheeler._

"_I don't want to get up yet." Linka whispered so Kwame couldn't hear that she was talking to someone._

"_I think you should. It's time for you to get up Babe." Wheeler whispered into her ear before kissing it._

"_But William…"_

"Linka! Wake up, we're almost there!" Gi said loudly into her ear. Linka awoke with a start and looked out the window. A shinny black sea starched for eternity in every direction. The only thing out of place was a light shinning to the left. Linka squinted and realized it was Blight's ocean fortress.

"How is this going to happen?" Ma Ti asked as the fortress slowly grew larger.

"Here's how this is going down," Kwame said, using a famous Wheelerism, "I'm going to stand up, and you're going to take the controls. Then, you'll fly the ship over the landing platform and hover it a couple of feet off the ground. Because we have rings with offensive capabilities, Linka., Gi, and I will jump out and rescue the others. You will take off and fly at a safe distance until we call you for a ride." Ma Ti nodded and took the controls from Kwame. Gi walked over to the hatch and opened it. A rush of cold sea breeze came rushing in and Linka sighed as she smelled the reassuring scent of salt water.

The Geo-Cruiser reached the fortress, and as planned, Kwame Linka and Gi jumped out and quickly dealt with the hand full of robotic guards. Ma Ti banked the controls left and took off into the night.

"Okay I think we should split up and each find someone and get them back here." Linka said, not wanting the others present when she finds Wheeler.

"But if we split up, Blight can pick us off easier," Gi complained, "I think we should stay in a group."

"If we're in a group, Blight only needs one trap to get us. And if we are captured, then our mission is lost. We cannot afford to fail this one." Linka countered.

" I agree, we should split up. Meet back here in fifteen minutes, regardless whether or not you have someone. Blight will eventually figure out we're here and send her robots to get us." Kwame said as he set his watch timer to fifteen. Linka and Gi did the same then ran off.

Linka quietly made her way down a flight of stairs and found a large steel door. Slowly she opened it and entered the fortress. The hallway was silver and well lit by large phosphorescent lights. Linka made her way down the hallway and around the corner. Linka reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of bright pink chalk. Marking the wall with a large X, Linka continued. After searching several rooms and marking them with an X, Linka found a room labeled LAB. She put her ear to the door and heard the unmistakable voice of Blight and MAL.

"How's our test subject MAL Baby?" Blight asked, her voice softened by the thickness of the door.

"All test results are positive. I think we have done it!" MAL responded, his robotic voice giving his happiness a monotone quality.

"WIND!" Linka yelled and blew the metal door from its hinges. The door smashed into the wall behind it and fell to the floor with a loud CLUNK. Linka charged in and found a shocked Dr. Blight looking at her from behind a computer. Linka felt her anger rise and her vision turned a hazy red. Before she knew it, Linka was on the move, ready to strike.

"What are you doing he…" Blight began but was silenced by a painful punch to her stomach. Linka growled and punched her again then threw her against the computer.

"WHERE'S WHEELER?" Linka roared, unable to control her rage. Blight starred at the enraged Linka in horror. Linka was about to punch her again when a shadow fell over the two.

"I'm right here." Responded the familiar Brooklyn accent. Linka spun on her heels as quickly as she could without noticing the smile on Blight's face. Linka spun in time to see a fist bearing a red ring connect with her face. Linka fell to the ground and tasted blood in her mouth.

"Blondie, meet Inferno, my newest partner." Dr. Blight said proudly. Linka looked up and could not hide the shock and horror from her face. Linka starred up a Wheeler, but it was not the Wheeler she knew and loved. He had on a black jumpsuit with deep crimson stripes on his arms. Around his waist was a grey items belt with what Linka noticed as fire grenades and even a silver platted pistol. Around his hands Wheeler wore black, fingerless gloves with his Planeteer's ring shinning brightly in the light. But apart from his dress, Linka could see the difference in his eyes. The once loving, caring eyes now burned with an uncontrollable anger and rage. The glared down at Linka and she felt them burning a hole straight through her soul.

"What…what have you done to my Yankee?" Linka gasped as blood stickled down her chin.

"When I saved him from that orphanage, he was all but dead. I could have just healed him, and kept him as a prisoner, but you Planet Punks would have saved him and destroyed this base of mine. So, I tried something new. I altered him memories. Instead of almost dying saving those useless orphans, I made him think that you Blondie fucked around behind his back with the Earth Planeteer. And when Firebug here found out about it, the two of you attacked him and left him floating in the ocean, barely alive. That's where I come in. I save him from death, and now here he is, ready to get his revenge. Then of course, I implanted a small little chip, right here," Blight said as she rubbed the back of Wheeler's neck, "The chip forces him to do my commands while allowing him to remain aware of the events around him. Basically, he can't say no to me, but he doesn't even know he can't. This way, if you get the chip out of his brain, he still wants to kill you for betraying him!" Blight finished with pride burning fiercely in her eyes. Linka's eye widened in absolute horror and she felt the cold sting of tears in her eyes.

"Yankee, tell me this is not true. It…it can't be." Linka demanded from Wheeler. Wheeler's eyes narrowed as he looked down at her with disgust.

"You slut! I'm going to make you pay for what you did to me. You and that bastard Kwame will die!" Wheeler snarled, then spit on the floor.

"NO! IT'S NOT TRUE! SHE HAD BRAIN WASHED YOU WHEELER! I LOVE YOU, NOT KWAME!" Linka yelled desperately. Wheeler looked at Blight and started to laugh.

"Stupid little Planeteer, did you not listen to ANYTHING I just said? There is no brain washing, he is free to think for himself. And he wants to kill you Blondie, you and your little friends."

"Inferno Baby, if you would, please kill this annoyance." Blight said with a dismissive wave.

"Yes mistress," Inferno replied in a monotone voice and aimed his ring, "FIRE"

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Cliffy! MUWA-HA-HA!

What happens next? Who knows?

Until next time…..


	7. Chapter 7

Right, let's see what will happen with Inferno!

Thanks to all who reviewed, you guys/gals ROCK!

Anyway, on with the events of Ch 7!

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The room shook violently and the metal floor cracked apart. With a deep rumble the floor split open and a large rock wall burst into the room, sending Inferno and Blight to the ground. The wall smashed into the ceiling, causing metal debris to smash into several computers. Linka felt her heart racing a mile a minute as she heard Kwame and Gi calling to her.

"Linka! What's going on here?" Kwame yelled from the doorway. Linka looked over and saw Kwame and Gi standing in the doorway, looking shocked and appalled.

"Oh my God! Wheeler!" Gi gasped as she ran over to Inferno's limp body. Gi knelt next to him and rolled him onto his back.

"GI! NO!" Linka screamed, but she knew it was too late. Inferno's eyes popped open and with a low growl he sent his knee into Gi's face. Gi fell to the ground with a THUMP and remained motionless.

"Friend, what have you done?" Kwame gasped, unwilling to believe his eyes. Inferno stood and glared at him with pure hatred in his eyes.

"_You!_ I've been waiting for this moment for a _long_ time." Inferno said with venom dripping off of every word. In a flash of movement, Inferno brought his ring to bear and sent a stream of fire at Kwame.

"WIND!" Linka yelled, throwing the fire of course and sending it into a rack of chemicals. The chemicals ignited and exploded, sending a shock wave through the room, knocking everyone to the floor.

"You'll pay for that one whore." Inferno grunted as he used the nearest table to help him stand. Linka's head was throbbing in pain and she blinked to try to clear her vision. Linka's eyes cleared in time to see Inferno charging her. Linka felt adrenaline begin to flow through her veins as she ducked at the last second and Inferno's kick smashed a computer screen. Linka somersaulted out from under Inferno and kicked his legs out from under him. With a sickening crack, Inferno fell to the ground and split his elbow open. Blood began to flow and mix with spilled chemicals on the floor, forming brownish or greenish liquids. Blinking away tears of pain and sadness, Linka stood, ran over to Gi and began to drag her away.

"We have to go, now!" Kwame yelled as her helped Linka drag Gi.

"Ugghh….anyone catch the license plate on that truck…" Gi moaned as she rubbed the side of her head.

"Gi, can you stand?" Linka quickly asked as Inferno slowly began to stand.

"I…I think so…"Gi said, using Linka and Kwame as support. With Gi on her feet, the three ran for the exit.

"Where do you think you're going?" Inferno asked as he got to his feet. Linka, Kwame, and Gi spun around and starred at the bloody madman with a fire ring.

"Wheeler, I don't know what Blight did to you, but I won't hesitate to bring you down." Gi threatened as she took aim with her ring.

"No you don't Planet Punk!" Dr. Blight yelled as she leapt at Gi. Before she reached her target, Kwame stepped in the way and hit Blight in the jaw with a right hook, rendering her unconscious.

"Bitch…" Kwame muttered as Blight fell to the floor with a THUMP.

"DIE YOU BASTARD!" Inferno screamed as he raised his ring, "FIR"

"WATER!" Gi yelled and sent a column of water into Inferno, smashing him into the wall. Inferno coughed and spat a wad of blood onto the floor. With unsteady steps, he began to approach the Planeteers. Linka stepped forward and took aim.

"I'm…I'm sorry Wheeler," Linka whispered as tears rolled down her cheeks, "WIND!"

Inferno collided with the wall again and collapsed to the floor, breaking his nose when he hit.

"Let us go." Linka said coldly as she spun and walked towards the door.

"Wait, we can't just leave Wheeler…"

"WHEELER'S GONE! THERE IS NOTING LET OF THE MAN I LOVED IN THAT BODY!" Linka screamed as she pointed to Inferno's body. Kwame bit his lip and followed Linka. Gi lingered for a moment and whispered something under her breath before following.

"We have to destroy this place." Kwame said as the ran through the hallway.

"Follow me. I found the reactor as I was looking for the others." Gi informed then before charging down a flight of stairs.

"Any luck finding Susan and Ryan?" Linka asked as they made their way to the reactor room.

"Yeah, I found both of them in a prison cell. They're waiting for us at the landing platform…hopefully." Kwame said as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Hopefully?" Linka asked.

"Yeah. I told them to wait for us there, then I ran to find you." Kwame said as they reached a large, steel door.

"This is it." Gi said as she looked through a window and saw the giant reactor inside. Kwame nodded and pushed the red button on the door. Silently, the door slid open and the three entered. As soon as they were inside, the lights went off and the alarm began to sound.

"Fantastic…robot time." Gi said with a sigh. Linka and Kwame nodded and prepared for battle as the sound of metallic feet running drew closer.

"How should we destroy this?" Kwame asked, gesturing to the reactor. Linka looked over to the machine. It was almost twenty feet high and was incased in a shell filled with water to cool it down. Green and red lights flashed on and off from many sections of the machine. In the dark of the room, the reactor looked almost alive as white flashes of light pulsed from its base.

"I got it! This reactor needs water to cool it down right?" Gi exclaimed with a hint of happiness in her voice.

"Da…." Linka said, not following Gi's train of thought.

"WATER!" Gi yelled as she aimed her ring at the machine. Instantly, the water in the shell began to evaporate away. Kwame chuckled slightly, but stopped when laser beams began to fly.

"That was too close." Kwame said as he barely dogged a beam aimed for his head. Linka nodded grimly and sent a tornado at the advancing robots. The wind smashed the robots aside, but several stood right back up and kept firing.

"WARNING WARNING; REACTOR REACHING CRITICAL TEMPERATURE"

"Shit, we have to go." Gi cursed as she looked around for another way out.

"Where do you think is behind that wall?" Linka asked, motioning to the wall at the far side of the room.

"Let us find out. EARTH!" Kwame yelled, sending a pillar of rock smashing into the wall. The wall broke apart to reveal a hallway on the other side.

"REACTOR OVERLOAD. DETINATION IN T-MINUS FIVE MINUTES."

"It's time we were off." Gi said before leaving her cover and running for the hallway. Linka stood and managed to get three feet closer to the hole when a laser hit her ankle, burning a hole all the way to the bone. Linka screamed and fell to the ground hard.

"LINKA!" Kwame yelled as he watched her fall. Without thinking, Kwame took off into a sprint, determined to help his friend. Linka gasped and blinked away more tears as she heard the approach of both Kwame and the robot that shot her. Linka wiped away some tears and saw the golden-yellow feet of a robot stop directly in front of her. Linka looked into the glowing red eyes of the robot and knew her death was only seconds away. Before it could finish the job, a wave of fire rolled over the robot, melting it from the waist up. Linka felt a wave of pure dread wash over her as she heard someone familiar approach.

"I will not have a mindless robot take my kill." The voice was softer and filled with pain, but there was no mistaking the Brooklyn accent. Linka gulped and looked up into the cold, blue eyes of Inferno. His elbow was wrapped, but the bandage was soaked in blood.

"Hello Linka." Inferno said bitterly with a smirk.

"What? No whore, no slut?" Linka asked coldly. Inferno laughed slowly and grinned.

"If that's the way you want it, so be it. Hello back-stabbing, friend fucking whore." Inferno growled his rage building.

"Hello friend." Kwame said coldly as his fist connected with Inferno's jaw, sending him to the floor. Kwame reached down and helped Linka stand. With a grunt of pain, Linka began to follow Kwame to the hole in the wall.

"REACTOR OVERLOAD. DETINATION IN T-MINUS FOUR MINUTES."

"We have to hurry!" Gi yelled as they raced through the hallway. Linka stumbled, but managed to catch herself against the wall before continuing. As they traveled through the hallways, Linka noticed Xs written on the door in chalk. Linka sighed with relief; they at least had been this way before. Linka took another left turn and was rewarded with a breath of fresh ocean air.

"Come on, we're almost there." Kwame said to Linka, trying to encourage her. Linka nodded and allowed Kwame to help her up the stairs to the landing platform.

"Kwame, thank God!" Susan said as the three Planeteers came into view. As Kwame gave Susan and quick hug, the Geo-Cruiser dropped from the sky and came to a rest three feet above the platform. Gi quickly opened the hatch and raised Ryan into the arms of Ma-ti then jumped in herself.

"LINKA!" Yelled a voice from the other side of the platform. Linka turned and saw Inferno standing there, blood dripping from his mouth, elbow, chin, and nose. Despite all of his injuries, he was still smiling a bloody smile.

"Is that Wheeler?" Ma-ti asked, squinting to see well. Linka shoved past him and sat down in the pilot seat and took off. Kwame quickly sat next to her and helped her.

"Wait, what about Wheeler?" Ryan asked as he starred at Inferno's charging form.

"That's not him." Kwame said sadly.

"But it looks just like…"

"It may have been Wheeler at one point, but that's not him now! That…that thing is a monster!" Linka snapped, silencing the entire cabin. Linka felt everyone's eyes on her, but she didn't care. They, or at least, Kwame and Gi, knew she was right.

"YOU CAN'T ESCAPE ME PLANETEERS! I CAN TRACK YOU ANYWHERE!" Inferno roared from the edge of the platform. Before the Geo-Cruiser could get any real altitude, Inferno aim with his ring and fired. A stream of blazing fire tore across the night sky and struck the Cruiser's wing, burning a hole straight through it. Infernos smiled widely as he watched the Geo-Cruiser spin out of control.

Linka fought to keep the ship airborne, but it failing uncontrollably. Without warning, the lights went off and all the instruments died. Ryan gasped and threw himself into Susan's arms.

"Main power off. Trying auxiliary." Gi said as she desperately pushed buttons on the console next to her.

"Anything?" Kwame yelled over the roar of the wind rushing past them.

"Nothing. I…" Gi stopped and covered her eyes and the cabin filled with red light. Linka looked out the window and saw Blight's fortress explode, sending streams of fire and debris in every direction. Linka felt a tear roll down her cheek as the entire fortress was engulfed in fire, vaporizing Dr. Blight, MAL, Inferno, and every dream of a happy life she had every had.

"Power's not coming back on." Gi screamed with pure terror in her voice.

"WE'RE GOING DOWN! BRACE FOR IMPACT!" Kwame yelled. Linka looked out the windshield and saw the black ocean rushing towards her. The last thing she heard before passing out was the shatter off glass and the screams of her friends.

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Muwahaha! Yet another Cliff Hanger! Keep you guys/gals guessing!

Hopefully, you won't come to my house and beat me up until I tell you what happens. Please Don't. Plus, I live in Missouri, and know one lives here. Ha-ha…………….I'm lonely.

Until Next Time…..


	8. Chapter 8

Hey guys, how's it going? I'm doing fine, nothing to complain about.

Anyway, I'm guessing you all want to know what's going to happen to the Planeteers, right?

Let's find out…

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Water gently washed up on the shore, coating the sand with fresh ocean water. The very same water Linka coughed up as she struggled onto the shore. Her whole boy ached and her head throbbed as she tried to take in her new surroundings. Linka wiped the water from her face and tried to stand, but fell when she felt a sharp pain in her hip. Gently she reached down and felt a piece of glass stuck in her side. Screaming in pain, Linka wrenched the glass from her hip and felt the warm blood roll down her leg. Blinking away the tears, she looked around. The shore was covered in the wreckage from the Geo-Cruiser. _Geo-Cruiser_. The word swam in Linka mind for a second before registering any information. Linka gasped as it all came back; _Geo-Cruiser, Gi, Kwame, Susan, Ryan, Dr. Blight, Water Fortress...in flames...fire...WHEELER_

"Say something…anyone." A familiar voice called from further down the beach, stopping Linka's train of thought. Linka opened her mouth to respond to Kwame, but no sound came out. Thinking quickly, Linka picked up a rock and hurled it against some wreckage. Kwame's head popped up from behind a large piece of metal that was once the engine of the Geo-Cruiser.

"LINKA! By the stars, I was afraid no one else survived." Kwame sighed as he limped over to her. Linka saw a large bloody gash on Kwame's knee; it was bloody and filled with sand and most likely infected. Kwame reached down and helped Linka stand. Linka winced as the wound in her hip bled. Linka tore the sleeve off her shirt and wrapped it tightly around the wound, gritting her teeth to keep from crying out. Linka finished tying the make-shift bandage when she heard some of the wreckage move and the sound of small feet walking in the sand.

"Ugghh….my head…." Gi moaned as she slowly walked onto the beach. Gi was rubbing her head and her feet crossed in front of each other like she was drunk. To her knowledge, Linka only knew Gi to have been drunk once; on her twenty-first birthday when she had drunken half a bottle of Champaign by herself.

"GI!" Kwame yelled as he ran over to her. Gi looked over and smiled a weak smile before almost tripping over her feet and falling face first into the sand.

"You okay?" Linka asked as she limped over to the fallen Gi.

"I'm fine…what happened?" Gi asked as Kwame helped her to stand.

"Do you want the long or the short version?" Kwame asked as he brushed sand off of Gi's shoulders.

"Short." Gi replied. Her head still throbbed and her vision was blurred.

"You tripped and fell into the sand." Kwame said matter-of-factly.

"And the long?" Gi asked as she desperately tried to see straight.

"You tripped and fell into the sand." Kwame responded with a faint smile.

"Thanks." Gi said sarcastically.

"No problem." Kwame said as he helped Gi straighten herself.

"Linka….you okay?" Gi asked when she noticed Linka starring off into space. Linka looked over and nodded, but still felt distant from the world. The world went cold and Linka fell to her knee and tried not to cry.

"Linka!" Gi screamed and quickly knelt down next to her. Linka tried desperately to keep the tears from her eyes.

"Gi, look after Linka. I'm going to find the others." Kwame said before limping off, using a large metal pole as a crutch.

"Linka…Linka…"Gi whispered, but Linka ignored her. Linka ignored the pain from her hip and curled up into a ball and began to rock back and forth.

"He…he was right…this whole time he was right…" Linka sobbed into her arms.

"Who? Who Linka?" Gi asked, desperately trying to help Linka.

"My…my father….he…he was right." Linka cried. Gi was taken back; Linka never spoke about her family.

"How? I don't understand." Gi confessed.

"He…he told me…to…to never…never fall in love…he…said…my heart…that my heart would be…br...broken…he was… right." Linka cried. Linka couldn't take it anymore and collapsed onto the sand and cried her heart out. Gi was shocked and was only able to gently rub Linka's shoulder.

"What? What did he tell you?" Gi asked, unwilling to believe her ears.

"I…I disobeyed him…and fell in….love..." Linka began, breath in deeply before continuing, "Wheeler….he told me everything would be okay…and now look…Boshe moy….."

"Linka, please, you're not making any sense. I think"

"I….I should… never had fallen….fallen in love." Linka cried as she pounded her fists into the sand.

"No, don't ever say that. You fell in love with Wheeler because you wanted to be happy and…"

"DO I LOOK HAPPY TO YOU! DO I LOOK FUCKING HAPPY!" Linka screamed, starring directly into Gi face. Gi fell back and landed in the sand, her mouth wide open at Linka's outburst.

"Linka…what…" Gi began but stopped when Linka stood and slowly approached her with a rage filled look in her eyes.

"He lied to me. He said it would all be okay…he promised me a home and a family." Linka said behind clenched teeth.

"Who? Wheeler?" Gi asked, slowly crawling backwards.

"That _pizdobol._ _Durak, svoloch'_! I hate you! I hate you! _Eede vhad e sgadie kak malinkey suka!_" Linka screamed, throwing her hand into the air.

"Linka, calm down." Gi called but still afraid of Linka's rage.

"_Sic Sukam Sim! _I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" Linka cried as she dropped to her knee again. Gi gulped and slowly approached her. Linka didn't move as Gi slowly placed a hand on her shoulder. Gi knew that nothing she said would help Linka now.

"I'm….I'm sorry. Oh God! Wheeler, I'm so sorry." Linka cried as she threw herself into Gi's arms and cried into her shoulder.

"Shush…Linka, its okay. He forgives you. He loved you." Gi whispered gently rubbing Linka's back.

"He hated me. He attacked me. He called me a...a whore." Linka cried as the memories from the night before flooded into her mind.

"That wasn't him. Dr. Blight did that to Wheeler. The real Wheeler loved you more than anything." Gi said as she tried not to cry herself. _No, not yet, I need to be strong for Linka; cry later._

"_Blight_," Linka hissed as she pulled away from Gi and stood, her fists clenched, "Where is she? _Bliatz!_ How _dare_ she do this to me and Wheeler; where is she? I'll kill her! _Ty troop!_"

"Linka, Dr. Blight is dead. She died when her fortress exploded. Remember? We overheated the reactor and the whole base went up in flames, taking Dr. Blight, Mal…" Gi gulped hard before continuing, "and Wheeler."

"No!" Linka gasped, covering her mouth with her left and, "Wheeler's not dead. He's alive; he has to be!"

"I'm...I'm sorry Linka." Gi said sadly as Linka' lower lip began to tremble.

"No! No! NO!" Linka screamed as she fell to the ground, fresh tears rolling down her face, "Wheeler's not dead. HE'S NOT DEAD!" Gi wasted no time in getting to Linka and embracing

"He… he can't be dead. We…we weren't married yet. He…he promised." Linka cried, the tears falling uncontrollably.

"Wh…what?" Gi asked, scooping Linka chin in her hand and starring her in the face, "What did you just say?"

"We…we were keeping it a secret." Linka said as she reached into her pocket. Gi was shocked to see Linka pull out a beautiful golden ring with a large sparkling topaz on it. Gently Linka slid the ring onto her finger; it was a perfect fit.

"Ohh God Linka…I…I'm so sorry." Gi gasped as the tears finally began to flow. Gi quickly wiped them away, but her heart was absolutely shattered. "When…when did you guys, you know?"

"Three…three weeks ago. We were walking on the beach, a full moon was out…and he got on his knee…and…and…" Linka began to cry all over again, the tears rolling down her cheeks and dripping onto the sand. "Why? Why? WHY? Why did this happen? We…we were going to get married and have a family…WAS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR?" Linka screamed, glaring up at the sky, daring God to answer. "Come back to me Wheeler. COME BACK TO ME! You promised me! YOU PROMISED!"

"Linka, please…"

"You _promised_. You…you promised. I…" Linka head began to throb and her vision blurred. Before she knew it, bile and vomit rose up in her mouth and she threw up. Linka's eyes blackened and she passed out.

"Linka!" Gi gasped as Linka fell backwards and hit the sand with a wet _THUMP. _Gi quickly checked her pulse and sighed when she found one. But she was out cold, and her breathing was uneven.

"Gi! Linka!" Shouted a voice from further down the beach. Gi looked over and saw Ma-ti sprinting towards them. Behind him, Gi saw Kwame and Susan slowly limping after Ma-ti. Kwame was carrying Ryan in his arms; Ryan's body looked limp and pale.

"Ma-ti, thank god. You okay? How's Ryan? Susan?" Gi quickly asked as Ma-ti kneeled down next to her.

"I'm fine; some bruises, nothing too bad. Susan is find, she broke her wrist. Ryan got hit in the head hard when we landed and hasn't woken up yet." Ma-Ti said, nodding over to the approaching figures, "How's Linka?"

"She lost it. Her emotions caught up to her and she passed out." Gi said sadly. Ma-ti nodded grimly and placed a hand on Linka's forehead. "Heart!" Ma-ti said and sent a wave of comfort into Linka. Ma-ti winced as he stifled through Linka's thoughts and emotions.

"How is she?" Susan asked when she was close enough. Gi looked up and genteelly smiled. Kwame came up behind her and set Ryan's body down before coming over to Gi and the others.

"Mentally, she's a wreck. She's just unwilling to accept reality right now." Gi informed them when he finished helping Linka all he could.

"What's that on her finger?" Susan asked, pointing at the golden ring on Linka's hand.

"She was engaged to Wheeler." Gi said sadly.

"WHAT?" Everyone gasped at the same time.

"Three weeks ago, they got engaged. She said they were keeping it a secret." Gi informed them as she wiped some stray tears from her eyes.

"Ohh my God…" Susan sighed, her voice barely above a whisper. Kwame gave her a gentle hug and fought back his own tears. The Planeteers fell silent and listened to the waves crashing against the rocks. Gradually, Gi became aware of a new sound. It sounded like an engine, and it was growing louder.

"LOOK!" Ma-Ti shouted as he pointed at something coming into view from behind a rock. It was a grey colored boat with the word _Miracle_ painted on the side. Gi noticed three figures standing on the bow, waving at them. One on them reached into a box and pulled out a megaphone.

"AHOY PLANETEERS! NEED A RIDE?" The man said, his voice effortlessly reaching the beach.

"If it's not to much trouble!" Kwame chuckled Susan laughed with relief. The boat landed on the shore and three new figures, wearing white doctor's uniforms with the Red Cross on their shoulder ran out and took Ryan and Linka back on stretchers. The remaining Planeteers and Susan slowly approached the ship with the help of several crew members. The man who had used the megaphone helped the Kwame onto the ship and smiled.

"I'm Captain Richardson of the Canadian Royal Navy. We tracked your ship going down, and I was dispatched to rescue any survivors." Richardson said, shaking Kwame's hand.

"Pleasure to meet you Captain. I'm Kwame; this is Gi, Susan and Ma-ti." Kwame said, introducing each one in turn. Captain Richardson shook everyone's hands politely.

"I recognized the blonde girl we brought in as Linka, am I right? But where is the America? Wheeler, I believe his name was?" Richardson asked, not noticing the sadness in the Planeteer's eyes.

"Wheeler…is dead." Gi said after a long, uncomfortable silence. Kwame and Ma-ti both nodded sadly when Richardson looked to them for confirmation.

"I am sorry. Please, you must be tired. I'm afraid we don't have any food, but we have soft warm beds." Richardson said as he walked into the ship. Susan and the Planeteers followed and soon found themselves snuggled under warm blankets with their heads on soft pillows; they were asleep in a matter of seconds….

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"RYAN! MS.SUSAN!" Bobby yelled as he was them approaching on the beach. Seconds after he took off, every other orphan sprinted after him, each one determined to be the first to give the hugs. Susan happily accepted hugs from everyone, and Ryan gave his brother the biggest bear hug he had ever given to anyone anywhere, _ever_. Linka felt her blacken mood dissipate slightly as she said her hellos to the overjoyed orphans.

"_Planeteers please report to the crystal chamber; we need to talk_." Gaia voice echoed in their heads. Linka looked at the others and nodded grimly; they all knew what was coming. As they approached, Ma-ti walked up behind Linka and patted her on the back. Linka smiled sadly and gave him a quick hug before entering the chamber.

Gaia stood in the center and smiled faintly as the Planeteers entered. Linka looked around and felt tears enter her eyes as she remembered hundreds of similar moments except with Wheeler standing next to her, usually holding her hand. Gaia held out her hand and in a flash of golden light, a ring appeared. Gaia gently placed next to the crystals and the Planeteers gasped when the recognized it.

"Wheeler's ring!" Linka gasped as the light reflected the small flame on the ring.

"_Wrong, this is the Ring of Fire. Wheeler's ring was destroyed last night_." Gaia said sadly. Linka felt her heart in her throat; it was true, he really was dead. "_I'm sorry to say_ _this, but we need to recruit a new Planeteer of fire_."

"I'm sorry Gaia, but no one can replace my Wheeler…" Linka began, her eyes tearing up, "You need to also find a new Planeteer of Wind." Linka said, walking forward and placing her ring next to Wheelers. Gaia looked her in the eyes and nodded sadly when she saw that she couldn't change Linka's mind.

"Gaia…I'm sorry too." Gi said slowly, placing her ring with the others. Kwame and Ma-ti both nodded and put their rings down too. Slowly, the four ex-Planeteers returned to their places.

"_So be it. I am sorry for your loses. I…I am going to miss you_." Gaia said sadly. In a flash, the five rings returned to Gaia's hand. "_I shall send you anywhere you want to go. Anywhere in the world."_ Gaia said before disappearing. Linka knew where she needed to go, but she had to say her goodbyes first.

"Now what?" Ma-ti asked looking at the empty spot on his hand. Kwame put his hand on Ma-ti shoulder and smiled.

"We continue our lives, and remember to good times we had." Kwame said with a smile. The four Planeteers stood in silence for several long minutes, no one willing to be the first to leave. After a while, Gi cracked a smiled and looked at the other three.

"Going away party?" She asked with a mischievous look in her eyes.

"You know it." Kwame said before following Gi into the kitchen to grab food and drinks. Linka smiled grimly and followed with Ma-ti by her side….

--At the Party.--

"You didn't really do that, did you?" Gi asked, trying to looked outraged, but she was damn close to laughing her head off.

"I did, and with only a bagel!" Ma-ti said proudly. It was too much; Gi fell over on the floor laughing. Linka couldn't help but laugh too; the story was absolutely ridiculous.

"So, was that why you were so tired? Because you did that?" Kwame asked while trying to catch his breath because he had been laughing so hard.

"It was damn near exhausting." Ma-ti said his face red with booze and laughter. The night went on like this for hours; each Planeteers sharing their most embarrassing or funnies moments. The story with Gi, a chocolate cake and the priest was exceptionally funny. Along with Susan, the four Planeteers drank and told stories until they were completely smashed and out of stories. When the party began to die down, Kwame stood on the table, kicking over a deck of cards and the Twister mat and raised his glass.

"My friends, this is our last night together, and what a night it has been. Over the last five years, we have sweated together, bled together, laughed and even cried together. We are bonded by more than friendship, more than even love. We are family." Kwame began, toasting everyone in turn.

"Hell yeah!" Gi shouted, raising her beer in salute; she was drunk and she knew it. _Six bears and two shots of Tequila will do that to you._

"But someone is missing here tonight. The soul of this family, the flame that kept us going…" Kwame started again, nodding slowly to Linka who was trying not to cry, "Here's to Wheeler; the man who kept us going, kept us laughing and occasionally put fake spiders on our pillows while we slept. Here's to him. To Wheeler!"

"TO WHEELER!" They echoed, each raising their drinks in a toast. A silence descended over the party, and Linka knew it was time. Slowly, Linka put down her green apple martini and walked away. When she was outside, she stopped for a moment and looked up at the stars, hoping to see Wheeler's face on one of the clouds, like in the romantic movies. Nothing happened.

"Where are you going to go?" Gi asked, approaching Linka from the bushes. Gi looked at her friend and noticed the pain in her eyes.

"I'm going to New York. Someone has to tell his parents." Linka said sadly. Gi nodded and gave Linka a fierce hug. After several minutes, Gi pulled away. "You'll keep in touch right?"

"Absolutely." Linka responded with a smile. Gi smiled and walked back into the hut. Linka watched her go and wondered if she would ever see any of them again. She hopped so. Linka spun on her heel and walked to the Crystal Chamber. Slowly, Linka entered and found Gaia watching the orphans sleeping in the sleeping bags. "_You can do this Linka_" she thought to herself. Linka breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly. Gulping hard once, Linka approached Gaia.

"Gaia…I am ready." Linka said with a determined look on her face…

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And that's the end of that. No more Planeteers, until Gaia gets a new team.

Don't worry; the story is far from over. A lot of things have yet to happen.

Until Next Time….


	9. Chapter 9

Okay, sorry about not updating in a while, but I had some problems with my Computer….sorry…

Let's see what's happening with the ex-Planeteers.

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-One Year Later-

"WIND!" Matt Collins yelled, sending a whirlwind at the group of poachers. One of the poachers dived out of the way and rolled to his feet.

"You won't stop us Planeteers!" He yelled, pulling out a pistol and aiming at Matt.

"Leave my man alone!" Zelinda Emerson yelled raising her hand, " WATER!" The poacher was thrown back as a tidal wave of water washed over him. With a wet THUMP, he hit his head on a tree, rendering him unconscious.

"Thanks honey. I owe ya' one." Matt said with a wink. Zelinda smiled and blew a kiss at him.

"Pay me back later in our bedroom." Zelinda purred; Matt smiled mischievously.

"LOOK OUT!" Alice Collins screamed as one of the poachers Matt had originally taken care off rose to his feet. The man picked up his Ak-47 off the ground and aimed at Matt and Zelinda.

"EARTH!" Tabia Mafuane yelled, sending a large boulder into the man. The poacher fell to the ground, clutching his broken chest.

"Ouch. Ryou, take care of that." Alice said with a dismissive wave.

"HEART!" Ryou Oonishi said, placing his ring on the man's forehead. Instantly the poachers stopped screaming and began to sleep.

"Well, that looks like all of them. I think that…"

BANG!

Matt never got to finish his sentence. The bullet exploded from the gun and bit deep into his chest, throwing him backwards. Zelinda screamed and ran to his side, tears flowing down her cheeks. Alice looked in shock as Matt fell to the ground then pure rage surged through her. Looking to where the shot came from, Alice saw a poacher wearing a black bandana holding a smoking Berretta in his hands.

"FIRE!" Alice yelled, sending a fireball at the man. The ball hit the gun, melting it instantly. The poacher screamed as liquid metal covered his hand, burning its way to the bones.

"WATER!" Zelinda yelled through her tears. The water hit the poacher and knocked him off his feet. Steam hissed into the air as the water collided with the liquid metal on his hand. Zelinda didn't even look to see where the man landed. All her attention was on her bleeding fiancé in her arms.

"Hey Honey…..this really hurts." Matt breathed and despite herself, Zelinda laughed.

"Want to go to the hospital?" Alice asked, kneeling down next to them.

"Ohh…if it's not too much trouble." Matt said, but coughed up blood when his finished.

"Shush, don't talk Baby." Zelinda said, rubbing his head slowly. "Ryou, come help us!"

"Right." Ryou said as he ran over to them.

"One…Two…Three." Alice said; the three Planeteers lifted their friend off the ground and quickly made there way over to the landing zone.

"Get aboard! Quick!" Tabia yelled from the ramp before running in. Alice, Zelinda and Ryou ran up the ramp of the Geo-Cruiser XII, officially named **_koushi _which meant renewal in Japanese. It had been Ryou's idea to name the ship in honor of the previous generations of Planeteers and Gaia been happy to let him. The name was proudly displayed on both sides of the aircraft in black, contrasting the silver paint job.**

**"We're on. Go! Go! Go!" Alice yelled as the ramp door closed. _Koushi_ lurched upwards as Tabia pulled hard on the controls. With a delayed sonic-boom, the Koushi blasted forward, sending a large dust cloud into the air.**

**"How's he doing?" Tabia asked from the cockpit.**

**"Not good. We need to get him medical attention…" Alice said, looking at the marble sized hole in Matt's chest, "Soon."**

**"You know, it doesn't' hurt that much." Matt said with an amused smile on his face.**

**"That's because you're going into shock Baby." Zelinda said, placing a hand on his cheek. He was cold and clammy. _He doesn't have long._**

"Can't this bucket of bolts go faster!" Alice screamed.

"I'm going as fast as I can." Tabia yelled back.

"Just hold on a little bit long Bro." Alice said, squeezing Matt's hand to get his attention.

"Don't worry A.L. I'll hold on for as long as I need too…." Matt's voice slowly faded and his eyes rolled back into his head.

"Matt?" Zelinda asked; several seconds went by with nothing. "Matt? Matt please; come on Honey, say something."

"MATT!" Alice screamed as he gently let go of her hand. Tears began to flow down both Alice's and Zelinda's faces.

"Come on baby, don't do this to us. Don't do it to me." Zelinda cried as she rocked back and forth, holding Matt's head.

"TABIA HURRY!" Alice screamed through her tears.

"We're landing in five…four…three…two….one." Tabia finished as _Koushi_ lowered itself onto the hospital landing platform. With in seconds of its landing, doctors and nurses ran out to meet the Planeteers. Alice and Zelinda wasted no time getting Matt to the stretcher and informing the doctors what had happened.

"Don't worry, we'll take it from here." A female doctor with blonde hair said. Zelinda nodded dumbly and watched as Matt was wheeled away by the nurses.

"I've contacted Gaia. She is very upset." Ryou said from the ramp.

"And what about Capy?" Alice asked, wiping away tears.

"No need to ask Ryou. Just ask me." Captain Planet said as he gracefully landed next to Alice. Alice instantly through her arms around him and held on for dear life. Captain Planet sighed; he could feel her anguish just by holding her.

"Don't worry A.L. the doctors here will take care of him." Captain Planer said with a smile, "He'll be back to annoying the crap out of us in no time."

"Yeah. Good old Matt, always knowing what not to say, then saying it." Ryou said, causing everyone except Zelinda to laugh.

"Hey, Z, you okay?" Tabia asked; Zelinda smiled weakly and nodded.

"No you're not." Captain Planet said, walking over to her, "Zelinda, don't worry. It'll all be okay."

"I know…but I…" Zelinda began as Captain Planer hugged her, "I could have warned him…I just didn't see the man and…why wasn't I paying attention!"

"Zelinda, it wasn't your fault. And besides, how do you think I feel?" Captain Planet said sadly, "I wasn't even there. I should have been looking after you guys."

"No Captain. You had your own battle." Tabia said seriously; Captain Planet nodded to her and smiled sadly.

"How is Duke Nukem anyway?" Ryou asked.

"He's doing fine." Captain Planet said with a smirk.

"Fine?" The Planeteers asked at the same time.

"Well, as fine as you can be with a cracked skull and a broken arm. The authorities took him in to custody after he fell off the dam. I don't think he'll be any trouble for awhile." Captain Planer said; the Planeteers laughed in relief.

"I should go check on Matt." Zelinda said, walking over to the door leading into the hospital. Tabia, Ryou and Alice followed her, each hoping that their friend was going to be all right.

Captain Planet watched the four go and thought back to when they first were picked.

Ryou, the genius from Tokyo; he had the personality of a Dalmatian. Friendly, loyal and a blast to be around, but he hates kids. Ryou hoped one day to be a lawyer and put the Eco-Villains behind bars forever. Although he never would admit it, Captain Planet knew he had a crush on Alice.

Following Ryou through the door was Tabia, the Egyptian beautiful with a wild side. Several times, she had been the one to start parties, often featuring alcohol. Despite her wild side, Tabia was a caring person who was always willing to help out. Back on Hope Island, Tabia pet Iguana Marko waited. Tabia loved all animals and often volunteered at Animal Rescues.

Already through the door and most likely halfway down the stairs was Zelinda, the German Bio-Chemist. She had fallen in love with Matt almost the second they had met. It had taken Matt another hour to fall in love, but he had and they hadn't been apart since. Zelinda was a strong woman who often took charge of the situation, but with a few sweet words from Matt, she could melt into his arms.

Matt Collins, the lovable brunette from Detroit. Matt was a strong firm man who often rushed into a situation without thinking. He let his emotions run his life, and never took "no" for an answer. Several times because of his rash actions, he had been injured, but each time he pulled through. Captain Planet wondered if he would this time.

Then there was Alice Collins, younger sister of Matt. She was proud and rebellious. During every mission, she would try to prove herself to her older brother. But Matt's very protective of his little sister and often didn't let her go do something dangerous. This always led to arguments between them, ending in Alice running off and doing it anyway. It had taken Alice close to six months to warm up to Zelinda. It took Zelinda saving her from an avalanche for Alice to admit that she was worth of her older brother.

As he studied each of the new Planeteers, Captain Planer couldn't help but wonder what had happen to the others after the break-up. Kwame, Gi, Linka, Ma-ti. Captain Planet sighed and a tear fell down his cheek. He had failed to protect Wheeler and everyone's life was ruined because of it. Especially Linka's; he wasn't going to let that happen again. Captain Planet vowed to himself that no more Planeteers, this generation and the next, would _ever_ live without their loved one……

--Pennsylvania--

Kwame sighed and looked out onto the snow covered field and the children who played on it. It was December and Christmas was only two weeks away. Susan stood in the middle of the field like some kind of angel covered head to toe in snow. Kwame recognized the snow covered forms of Michel and Chris, two of the newest orphans.

After the incident, Kwame and Susan rebuilt the orphanage and had tried to live a normal life. Most of the kids who were involved in the fire still had nightmare, but a few were doing fine. Most notably Ryan and Bobby; the brother had been able to help each other through the trauma. Kwame sighed; not everyone had fared as well as Ryan and Bobby, one person still couldn't let go of what happened.

"Mr. Kwame, are you okay?" Mark asked from the living room. Kwame smiled and wondered in. Mark, Tom, and Joseph were sitting in front of the TV watching cartoons.

"_There's Teletraan one. For Megatron, destroy it!" _

"What are you watching?" Kwame asked as he sat down next to Mark.

"The Transformers." Mark said, looking at Kwame and smiling.

"_Sludge not see these Decepticons before."_

"_Not see again neither. 'Cause we dynamite them to pieces!"_

"Where is everyone?" Kwame asked, somewhat concerned.

"Megan, Jessica and the other girls are in the kitchen baking cookies." Tom said with a dismissive wave. Kwame's concern dropped into out-right terror. Without thinking, Kwame launched himself from the couch and ran to the door.

"SUSAN!" Kwame screamed.

"What is it Honey?" Susan asked, looking over at him and smiling.

"Megan is in the kitchen!" Kwame screamed his fear obvious.

"Ohh God no!" Susan yelled, sprinting towards the door. Kwame smiled, feeling confident the Susan could deal with the problem. Kwame walked back over to the TV and sat down again.

"_It's bad news Scapper. They've brought out the heavy artillery."_

"_Then it's time we did the same, only heavier! Constructicons transform, phase one!"_

"Aren't you going to stop Megan?" Joseph asked.

"No. I think Susan can handle that." Kwame answered with a smile.

"You sure?" Mark asked with an I'm-not-so-sure smile.

"Hopefully. I really don't want to do any work right now." Kwame said, sighing deeply and resting his head on a pillow.

"_Nothing can withstand the might of Devastator! Nothing!" _

"SURPRISE!" Megan yelled, emerging from the kitchen holding a plate of cookies. Susan appeared behind her with a proud smile.

"Are they done?" Tom asked, walking over.

"Mmmhmm." Megan said, nodding her head vigorously. Tom smiled at her and took one of the cookies.

"Tom….." Kwame said, eyeing the cookie suspiciously.

"What? A cookie is a cookie. Pure and simple." Tom said with a shrug before eating the cookie in one bit. Several long seconds passed as Tom chewed and chewed. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he swallowed.

"Can I have another?" Tom asked with a smile.

"We made plenty." Megan said with a nod. Tom took another cookie, put it in his mouth and grabbed a third. Kwame smiled and walked over an looked a cookie over. It was in the shape of a snowman with little brown chocolate eyes. Kwame looked at Megan who eagerly waited for Kwame to eat it. Smiling sadly, Kwame out the cookie in his mouth and started to chew.

The cookie was warm and soft. It tasted like chocolate Almost like a sugar cookie, but no as sugary. As Kwame finished chewing and swallowed, he smiled widely at Megan.

"Fantastic." Kwame said, embracing Megan in a fierce hug. Megan quickly pulled away and ran off, eager to hand out more cookies.

"Did you make them?" Kwame asked, nodding over to Megan who was handing Mark and Joseph cookies.

"No. Megan made them all by herself." Susan said, walking up behind Kwame and draping her arms around his shoulder. Kwame smiled and kissed her hand gently.

"You know, this will be our first Christmas as a married couple." Susan whispered in his ear.

"Got anything special planned?" Kwame whispered so the kids didn't hear.

"I might." Susan purred, "Play your cards right and you just might find out what it is." Kwame smiled mischievously, kissed her cheek and slowly made his way over to her lips. _Life doesn't get better than this._

--New York City--

Linka sighed deeply and switched off the lights. Instantly her office went dark, officially putting an end to her day. Throwing her purse around her shoulder, Linka began the long walk to the parking lot.

"Hey Linka, good job on the Congressional Hearings. Wilson just ate the story up." David, one of her coworkers said as she passed his desk. Linka smiled and nodded a thanks. She had be offered a job as a reporter after writing a eulogy for Wheeler's funeral. Linka sighed and wiped a tear from her eye. She still wasn't over him, and probably never would be. She still wore her engagement ring on her finger, hoping to keep his memory alive.

"Hey Linka, wait up a second." David said, running to catch up. Linka turned to face him. He was in his mid-thirties, brown hair and a good body. But he was no Wheeler and never would be.

"Da….?" Linka asked, knowing what was coming.

"I was wondering if you wanted to…"

"Nyet David." Linka snapped, "Stop asking."

"But Linka…" David began, unable to articulate his disappointment.

"David I'm engaged!" Linka said angrily; Linka pointed to the golden ring on her finger to underline her point.

"To a dead man." David said, causing Linka to wince.

"Stop it David." Linka warned, causing David to consider his next words carefully.

"But…"

"David, let it go! I don't love you. I don't even like you all that much." Linka snapped.

"When will you ever move on!" David demanded.

"The day you stop asking me out." Linka sneered.

"That's not fare." David stated, his anger growing.

"Neither was Wheeler dying. Now, please go away!" David nodded sadly and walked away, hanging his head in defeat. _He'll try again next Friday._

Linka waited for David to leave her sight before calling the elevator. The silver doors slid open with a DING and Linka entered. Pushing the _B_ button, Linka sighed and rested her head on the wall. The elevator lurched and descended towards the basement. Linka reached under her shirt, pulled out a small locket and flipped it open. Inside was a picture of a happy couple on a couch. Her and Wheeler asleep in each others arms on Valentines Day. Linka smiled sadly and remembered back to those happy times with Wheeler and the others.

Briefly she thought about the other; Kwame, Gi and Ma-ti. Kwame had gone off and married Susan. Together they had rebuilt the orphanage.

Gi was engaged to Botanist named Alexander.

Ma-ti was still dating a girl named Sherry and Linka was sure they would be married soon.

The elevator came to a halt and pinged, drawing Linka away from her memories. The door slid open to reveal a almost empty parking lot. Linka looked around and walked over to her car. It was a small, red Lexus IS 250. Linka had been able to afford it after because bonus she received for writing the Planeteer's History for the New York Times.

Linka started her car, drove out of the parking lot and pulled into New York traffic. It had taken her several months to get used to the drivers around here, but she had and now felt confident she could get home with no trouble.

Linka had bought an apartment close to downtown. She had fallen in love the with view of the river and the Statue of Liberty standing unwavering and unmoving. It was the perfect apartment for a newly wed young couple. Something Linka had hopped to be once, but that dream died along time ago. Linka sighed and parked her car in the underground parking lot below her apartment building. With a CLICK, Linka turned off the car and locked it for the night.

Linka walked to the end of the parking lot and entered the building using the only elevator. Linka pressed the button that would take her to the twentieth floor and waited. After a minute of vertical travel, the elevator lurched to a halt and the doors slid open. Linka walked down the hallway until she reached her apartment; 20F.

With a flick of the wrist, the lights came on, illuminating the apartment. It wasn't anything special, but it was practical and organized. One kitchen, two bedrooms, one bathroom and a spacious living room with a view of the bay. Linka set her keys down on the table and walked to the bathroom for a shower……

--Later--

Linka sat down on the couch, ready for war against a late-night romance movie. She held her two favorite weapons; a bar of chocolate and a jar of peanut butter. Just as she was getting comfortable on the couch, the phone rang. Groaning, Linka answered it...

"Hello?"

"Linka? It's Gi! How ya' been girl?"

"Gi! Boshe moy, it's been what, three months?"

"Yeah, something like that. So, what new? Met any hot young guys?"

"Gi, you know I'd don't do that anymore. I'm engaged."

"Listen Linka, I know nobody will ever replace Wheeler." Gi let the words hang for a moment before continuing, "But you need to move on. He would have wanted you to be happy."

"Gi stop it. Please. Wheeler wanted to marry me, and I him. I really don't want to go down this road again. The whole _incident…_" as the media had come to call it "destroyed me heart. I'm….I'm just not ready yet."

"When will you be ready?" Gi asked her sarcasm plain.

"I don't know….maybe ever." Linka responded with a heavy sigh.

"Linka please, you need…"

"Gi, Wheeler was the love of my life. No one will ever replace him." Linka interrupted. Gi sighed sadly and accepted Linka's choice. A long pause descended between the two friends. Gi couldn't take it anymore and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Are you still going to be my Maid of Honor?" Gi asked happily. Linka smiled and nodded, although Gi couldn't see her.

"Da….it would be an honor." Linka responded and laughed.

"Umm….yeah, that's why they call it Maid of Honor." Gi giggled.

"So, how's Alexander?" Linka asked. She had only met him twice, and from she could tell he was Gi except as a man.

"Fantastic! You'll never guess what we did last night." Gi said mischievously.

"Nyet, I think I have a pretty good idea of what you did last night." Linka said with a knowing smile.

"Really? How da' guess? _Uno_ is a pretty hard thing to guess without any clues." Gi said, obviously shocked.

"Uno? Da…Uno. I'm sure." Linka said sarcastically.

"It's true." Gi said, waiting several seconds before continuing, "The loser had to fulfill all the fantasies of the winner…."

"Gi, stop please."

"He let me win. But hey, I'm not complaining. First I had him give me a foot massage, with a happy…."

"Gi, I don't need to know any of this!" Linka said/yelled.

"Are you sure. Its gets kinda good. Like later, when we took the chocolate fondue pot and poured the chocolate all over…"

"GI ENOUGH!"

"Fine fine fine." Gi said with a sigh, "But are you the Maid of Honor."

"Da, I am."

"Great, I'll e-mail you everything you need to know."

"Okay."

"I guess I'll talk to you later."

"Da…bye."

"Bye Linka." Linka hung up the phone and sighed sadly. She felt the tears starting again.

"Gi is getting married, Kwame _is_ married and Ma-ti is hopelessly in love. And I….I have pictures and a ring." Linka said to no one. Linka took a large bite of peanut butter covered chocolate and rested her head on the pillow she had rested her head on the first time she and Wheeler had _partied_. Linka turned on the TV and immediately turned to the news.

"_And our top story today: Matt Collins, the Planeteer of Wind was shot today while combating poachers in Western Japan."_ Linka gasped and almost dropped the controller.

"_Doctors say the he is expected to make a full recovery, and it is reported that fellow Planeteer and fiancé Zelinda Emerson has yet to leave his side." _

Linka smiled and sighed with relief. At least these new Planeteer had found love and could obviously keep it alive. Flipping through the rest of the channels, Linka found _The Daily Show: with John Stewart _on and smiled. It was her favorite show ever. But sadly, Linka was asleep before John had even finished introducing his guest for the night….

--------

With cold and steady hands, a figure stood on the rooftop holding M40A Sniper Rifle in his hands. Aiming it at the building almost nine hundred yards away, he spotted the sleeping blonde. She looked like she had so long ago, except her hair was shorter. The black crosshair found its mark just above her eye. Fury was starting to build up inside of him and his knuckle whitened as he fought not to pull the trigger. It took all of his will not to riddle her with bullets then and there. But he had a plan, something much worse that a bullet through the brain. But he had need to vent his anger somehow. Looking around, he found something. A young couple, maybe in there mid twenties were walking down the street, hand-in-hand. Drawing his knife, the figure descended down the ladder to the alley floor….

Water splashed on the rooftops as he emptied the bottle, washing the blood from his hands. The couple hadn't put up much of a fight. In fact, they hadn't even seen him coming. Two quick slashes and their lives were ruined forever. No screams, no nothing. Just the dripping of blood and the horrible gurgle as they had tried to breathe through ruined throats.

Picking up his rifle again, he found that the blonde had gone off to bed. Sighing angrily, he put the gun back in its case and walked back towards the ladder.

"You'll pay Linka. You'll all pay."

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Okay, a rather long chapter. But hey, it was kinda cool.

R&R

Until Next Time….


	10. Chapter 10

Ch 10!

I really need people to start reviewing….I kinda live for reviews…..so yeah…..it's just polite to do it.

Anyway, on with the chapter that is WAY shorter than Ch 9!

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"You really should get some sleep." Doctor Wilson whispered to Zelinda.

"Just tell me how he is doing." Zelinda snapped. Wilson blinked twice and nodded.

"He's stable. There was a lot of blood loss, but he should pull through nicely." Dr. Wilson said proudly. He loved helping people but the things he _lived_ for were the smiles on the faces of those with loved ones who would live. And right now, the doctor felt that life was almost perfect…almost.

"Danke..." Zelinda said, shaking Wilson's hand vigorously. Wilson smiled and walked away, leaving Zelinda alone with Matt.

Zelinda walked over to the brunette sleeping soundly at the far end of the room. She had to admit, for a period of about an hour, Zelinda had been worried that Matt wasn't going to pull through. Despite herself, Zelinda couldn't help but love Matt's reckless way of thinking. Even though she had spent several nights in hospitals, waiting for him to wake up, she still loved him. Every time he went and got himself hospitalized, it was for a good reason; saving a baby from a fire, distracting an armed robber, blowing up a storage of nuclear waste and even saving a baby from a burning nuclear waste storage while an armed robber was shooting at him.

"You really do love everyone you meet, don't you?" Zelinda found herself saying as she approached him. Pulling up a chair, Zelinda sat down next to him and picked up his hand. It was warm, soft, and very very gentle as Zelinda had learned on many occasions. Zelinda squeezed his hand and kissed it, savoring the feeling on her lips.

Slowly, Zelinda reached over and brushed some hair from his eyes. She wished for nothing more than to see his eyes, his deep beautiful brown eyes. They were the most stunning eyes Zelinda had ever seen. The first time they had met, she had lost herself in his almost angelic eyes. And she had every time since then; she would just get lost in the deep amber of his eyes.

"Ich lieben sie." Zelinda whispered in his ear.

"I love you too." Matt whispered back. Zelinda gasped and pulled away to see his face. Matt starred back at her with his brown eyes glazed over. Zelinda smiled and rested her forehead on his.

"Matt…gott sei Dank…" Zelinda whispered with a wide smile on her face. Matt slowly wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head. Zelinda pulled away instantly and threw her lips onto his. Her lips tingled against his and sent shivers up Zelinda's spine. Before she knew it, Zelinda's tongue was exploring Matt's open mouth. Although it was well documented space. Zelinda shivered as Matt's warm hands slowly moved up her back and ended at her neck. Zelinda pulled away and sucked in a lung full of air before planting her lips back on Matt's.

Matt winced as white hot pain shot through his chest, but he didn't pull away. He couldn't; he loved Zelinda too much to pull away. But Zelinda noticed a twitch in his lips and pulled away instantly

"Honig! I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" Zelinda asked worry and fear dancing across her face.

"No. No honey. I'm fine." Matt whispered with a forced smile.

"But…but…" Matt silenced her with a finger on her lips. Zelinda nodded slowly and sighed in relief.

"I'm fine really. I feel like going for a three mile run." Matt said with a sarcastic smile.

"Ausgeschlossen!" Zelinda said firmly.

"Umm….yeah, what?" Matt said with a curious grin

"It means Absolutely Not. Out of the Question." Zelinda laughed

KNOCK KNOCK

The door open slowly and Dr. Wilson poked his head in. He instantly noticed Matt and Zelinda embracing and began to close the door.

"No, it's okay Doctor. Come on in." Matt said, motioning for the Wilson to enter. Zelinda bit her lower lip; she wasn't ready for Wilson to ruin her time with Matt. _Well, he can make up for it later. _

"I'm glad to see you're up, and keeping _busy_." Dr. Wilson said with a grin.

"Well, you know me." Matt said with a shrug.

"Okay, here's how this going to be." Dr. Wilson said, pulling out a piece of paper, "I'm going to read you a list of Do's and Don'ts"

"Look Dr…?"

"Wilson."

"Wilson, I don't need a list. I just want to go home and rest." Matt said with a relaxing smile.

"Well, I would like to keep you overnight, but I can see that's not going to happen." Dr. Wilson said looking from Matt to Zelinda and back to Matt, "but you _have_ to take it easy for a couple of weeks."

"Sure." Matt said with a nod.

"No saving the world." Dr. Wilson said firmly.

"Umm…sure." Matt sighed sadly.

"Don't worry honey." Zelinda said, patting Matt's leg.

"And no sex." Dr. Wilson said causing Matt and Zelinda to look at him shocked.

"Umm…yeah…umm…" Matt stuttered, rubbing the back of his head.

"Gott verdammen es." Zelinda cursed; Matt smiled and kissed her on the forehead.

"We'll manage for awhile." Matt promised. Dr. Wilson nodded and left.

"I'll go get you a wheelchair." Wilson said, closing the door.

"Ach mein Gott. I don't think I can last two weeks." Zelinda said with a half joking half serious smirk.

"Don't worry honey." Matt said. Zelinda sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. Dr. Wilson walked into wheeling a wheelchair. Matt sighed and with the help of Zelinda, got up and walked over to the chair. Pain surged through Matt's chest but he tried to ignore it.

"I can take it from here" Zelinda said, nodding a thank you to Wilson. Wilson smiled and walked away.

"God Damn, this is embarrassing." Matt sighed.

"It will be okay." Zelinda said, wheeling Matt through the hallways. Matt smiled and patted Zelinda's hand,

"MATT? MATT!" Alice screamed, sprinting down the hallway. Matt smiled and tried to stand, but Zelinda pushed him down.

"Hey A.L., how's life?" Matt asked with a grin.

"Ohh my God Matt!" Alice screamed, hugging Matt fiercely. Matt sighed happily and wrapped his arms around his little sister.

"You never answered my question; how's life?" Matt laughed. Alice looked at him and wiped a tear from her eye.

"I'm doing great now." Alice said. Tabia and Ryou appeared around the corner and smiled widely.

"Matt, how's it going?" Ryou asked with a sarcastic smile.

"Great. What about you two?" Matt said with a smirk. Tabia ran over and hug him and laughed into his hair.

"I missed you too." Matt said, pattering her on the back.

"You going to be okay?" Tabia asked, pulling away and starring him in the eyes.

"Yeah, I'm going to be just fine. Ready to get out of here?" Matt asked, looking at everyone present

"Yeah, let's get going." Ryou said motioning for them to follow him.

"Yeah, I could go for a good nights sleep." Alice said with a yawn. Matt smiled and nodded to Zelinda.

"Nach hause zu gehen. Let's go." Zelinda said, pushing Matt's wheelchair along.

"Yeah I'm ready to go home." Matt said, gently kissing Zelinda's hand.

"Wie bin ich so glücklich geworden? I love you Matt." Zelinda sighed, feeling her hands tingle against Matt's lips.

"I love you too honey. I can't wait until we're married." Matt said, his eyes glazed over

"I know. Life won't get any better after that day." Zelinda sighed dreamily. It was going to be the highpoint of her life.

--------

Gi sighed and hung up the phone. Linka was always stubborn; how Wheeler was able to put up with Linka was beyond her. Still, she had agreed to be her Maid of Honor. Gi shivered at the thought of marriage; a thought that scarred and excited her in equal measures.

"_I don't know…maybe never."_

The words echoed in her mind, causing Gi to wince. She had spent so long trying to get Wheeler and Linka together. When the finally were, Gi was the third happiest in the world. Then Blight had to fuck everything up. Everyone's lived had been turned upside down in a matter of days. They had gone from friends who never could part, to four awkward people talking on the occasion.

The door opened and Gi's fiancé Alexander walked in, his smile brightening up the room instantly. Gi looked at him and smile weakly but couldn't hide her emotions fully.

"Hey Gi, what's wrong?" Alexander asked, noticing the worried look on her face. Gi looked at him and smiled weakly.

"Nothing. I'm fine. It's just…" Gi sighed and looked away.

"Hey Baby, what's wrong?" Alexander said, putting his arm around her and pulling her close.

"Well, it's Linka she…"

"Listen Gi, I know you're just trying to help, but you can't worry about her all the time." Alexander whispered into her ear.

"But, I don't think she's over Wheeler yet." Gi complained.

"Would you ever be over me if I died?" Alexander asked sarcastically. Gi gasped and snuggled closer to him.

"Never. I love you more than anything." Gi said, kissing his neck gently.

"More than life?"

"Mmmhhhhmmm." Gi nodded.

"More than the ocean?" Alexander asked with a smile.

"Yeah, I really do." Gi confessed, slowly moving her kisses to his chin.

"More than pancakes?" Alexander asked with a knowing smile.

"That's pushing it." Gi said, pulling away.

"Which one; me or pancakes?" Alexander asked with an evil grin.

"Please, don't make me pick." Gi said with mock anguish.

"Allow me to help you with your decision." Alexander said, cupping her chin with his hands. Gi smiled and closed the gap between their lips. Her hands traveled up his back and into his soft blonde hair. It was a fierce and passionate kiss with Gi's tongue wrestling Alexander's for dominance. Gi sighed as Alexander's hands traveled down her neck, over her breasts and to her flat stomach. Gi pulled away laughing as Alexander tickled her in her one weak spot.

"Stop…stop it." Gi said, breathless from laughing. Alexander stopped and waited for Gi to calm down before kissing her again. It was short but deep; the type of kiss that took someone's breath away. Gi sighed and rested her head on the pillow next to her.

"You know, I think I've made my decision." Gi breathed, her eyes glazed over.

"How could you have?" Alexander asked with a mischievous grin, "I haven't finished yet." Alexander brushed his lips over her and started down her neck, leaving tender spots where he kissed. Gi smiled as Alexander slowly unbuttoned her blouse and continued down her chest…

--------

The engine's roar slowly died down and suddenly there was silence. The Geo-Cruiser cooled down and the front hatch slid open. Gaia materialized right in front of it and smiled as Zelinda walked down wheeling Matt. Alice walked next to them, holding Matt's hand.

"It is great to see you." Gaia said with a smile.

"It feels great to be back." Matt said, motioning for Gaia to give him a hug. Gaia walked over and hugged him gently; well aware of the pain he was living with.

"Matt?" A voice asked from above them. Everyone looked up to see Captain Planet slowly descend. Captain Planet walked over to him and patted him on the head.

"Hey Capy, how's it haggin'?" Matt asked with a weak grin.

"Listen Matt, I'm really sorry about not being there when you needed me." Captain Planet said sadly.

"Captain, don't even go there. You had your own stuff to do." Matt said with a dismissive wave. Captain Planet nodded and walked over.

"Yeah, I guess. But still…" Captain Planet said, placing a hand on Matt's shoulder.

"Captain, please don't."

"Well, at least let me fly you to your room."

"You got a deal Captain." Matt said with a smile. Captain Planet smiled back and picked him up gently. Heartbeats later, Captain Planet was in the air, flying towards Matt and Zelinda's room.

"I don't know about you, but I'm ready to go to bed." Ryou whispered to Alice.

"Yeah really. Think we should just go?" Alice asked, trying to hide a grin.

"Why not?" Ryou asked. Second later Alice and Ryou were walking towards their own rooms. Tobia watched them go and smiled.

"Perfect." Tobia said without meaning to. Zelinda looked over and saw Ryou and Alice going inside.

"What did you do?" Zelinda asked with a smile; everyone was well aware that Ryou was in love with Alice. Everyone except Alice that is. Tobia looked over and shrugged.

"What can I say? Alice needed my help getting Ryou alone." Tobia said with a wink.

"Warten sie eine sekunde. I thought Ryou was in love with Alice, not the other way around." Zelinda looking at Gaia for support. Gaia smiled and disappeared.

"Are you crazy? Alice is like head-over-heals in love with Ryou. I don't expect they'll be single for much longer." Tobia said walking away.

"How long do you figure?" Zelinda asked, walking after her.

"Ohhh, about thirty more seconds." Tobia said looking at her watch. Zelinda smiled and went to her room, deliberately not taking the main hallway to get there.

--------

Ryou looked at the girl walking next to him and smiled to himself. Her short blonde hair swayed gently in the wind. Alice noticed his stare and glanced over at him. Her green eye shinned beautifully in the moonlight.

"God, why does she stare at me like that? Oh yeah, that's right, 'cause she doesn't know what it does to me." Ryou thought to himself. Ryou eyes met Alice's and he blushed and looked away.

"He's so cute when he blushes." Alice found herself thinking. Alice took a huge risk and reached out and took hold of Ryou's hand. Ryou felt his heart flutter but he didn't move away. After a short time of holding hands, they reached Alice's room.

"Well I guess this is goodnight." Ryou said with a smile. Alice looked at him and quickly made a decision. Before Ryou could walk away, Alice threw herself into Ryou's arms and kissed him. Ryou almost fell back, but managed to right himself.

Alice savored the moment, taking in as much of Ryou as she could before he pulled away. But he didn't. Ryou stayed and began to kiss her back. It started out slow, but soon grew more passionate. Alice found herself exploring Ryou's mouth with her tongue. Soon the need for air was too great and Ryou pulled away.

"I didn't expect that." Ryou smiled. Alice nodded, her eyes glazed over.

"So…yeah…" Alice said, looking into Ryou's eyes.

"I guess I should go to bed." Ryou whispered.

"Do you have to?" Alice asked with a grin.

"Well, let's at least date once," Ryou said but quickly added, "That is, if you want to go on a date."

"Are you kidding me? I've wanted to go on a date for so long." Alice sighed and brushed her lips on Ryou's.

"So, tomorrow?" Ryou asked.

"Sure." Alice asked, kissing Ryou again.

"Eight o'clock?" Ryou continued.

"Sounds perfect." Alice whispered with a grin.

"Fantastic," Ryou said, kissing Alice's forehead, "I'll see you in the morning."

"Can't wait…goodnight." Alice said, stepping backwards into her room. When her door was closed, Alice leaned against to door and felt her heart. It was beating a mile-a-minute.

"I can't believe I just did that." Alice whispered…

--------

Captain Planet flew into the Crystal Chamber and landed next to Gaia. She looked over and smiled weakly.

"Matt is sound asleep in his room. Zelinda is going to look after him." Captain Planet said with a relived smile.

"Good. She'll take good care of him." Gaia said with a sigh.

"What's wrong?" Captain Planet asked instantly ready to help.

"I've been sensing a strange…" Gaia began, not fully able to describe her problem.

"A strange what?" Captain Planet asked concerned.

"Wheeler…I think he's alive."

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Wha…?

Did he really stop it there? Yes he did. Get over it!

Now you review…criticisms are not only welcome but they're loved. If I made a spelling mistake, don't just say "A few mistakes here and there" Point them out! Say something like, "Hey, in this part, you put her, but you meant him!" Simple stuff.

Until Next Time…..


	11. Chapter 11

Right, Ch 11

Yeah I know, it's up soon, but I wanted to test something…

On with the chapter

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_It's cold. That the best way Wheeler could describe his current situation. He was floating, just floating. Wheeler looked around but found no landmarks or sighs or anything that implied life. It was just blank white all around, stretching on into eternity_

"_Wheeler? Wheeler?"_

"_Who's there? Who are you?" Wheeler asked desperately looking around for the source of the voice. There was a long silence, then a wind began to blow. Before he knew it, a ghostly image of a woman appeared several feet in front of him._

"_It is I." The woman responded. Recognition dawned upon Wheeler followed by utter disgust and hate._

"_Gaia!" Wheeler spat as if the name was poison._

"_I have searched along time for you." Gaia said hovering closer to him, "I must admit, there was a time when I thought you were dead. Tell me, how did you survive?"_

"_I jumped over the side just before that shitty excuse of a base blew up. What does it matter to you?" Wheeler sneered with hate burning in his eyes._

"_But your ring. It appeared in the Crystal Chamber. How di…" _

"_I am not a moron Gaia! I knew that if the ring appeared, everyone would think I was dead." Wheeler informed her, taking pleasure in the shocked look that crossed her face, "All I had to do was leave the ring behind. Then BAM, instantly I was thought dead by those Planeteers."_

"_Why?" Gaia asked as though she didn't know the story._

"_I needed those people to think I was dead. Now, they won't expect my vengeance!" Wheeler declared throwing his arms into the air and laughing._

"_They were your friends…" Gaia began, her words instantly stopping Wheeler's insane laughing, "And Linka….Linka was more….she was you fiancé!_

"_Don't speak to me about her! I loved her and she betrayed me!" Wheeler roared, barely able to control his anger, "She left me to die! And I will get even if it's the last thing I do!"_

"_Wheeler, you have been blinded to the truth! Linka loves you and will love you for the rest of her life!" Gaia said firmly. Wheeler shook his head violently._

"_No, no she doesn't. You don't love someone then beat them to within an inch of death and leave them in the ocean!" Wheeler countered, his anger reaching new heights._

"_You are wrong! That never happened! You were taken by Blight and brainwashed!" Gaia yelled, causing Wheeler to back away slightly._

"_No….no, Linka and Kwame….they attacked me. I was there!" Wheeler said with growing concern._

"_No Wheeler, those are false memories implanted in your mind. You were almost killed in a fire." Gaia said. Instantly an image appeared between the two. It was Linka, screaming and yelling. Tears fell freely down her face as she watched a flaming building collapse. _

_Wheeler starred at the image in mute shock. It was impossible. It had to be a trick. Wheeler closed his eyes and shook his head, desperate to get the images out of his mind._

"_No, no that didn't happen!" Wheeler yelled. The images faded and Gaia sighed sadly._

"_I was hoping it wouldn't come to this." Gaia said, hanging her head._

"_Come to what? What are you goi…"_

"_LINKA LOVED YOU! MORE THAN LIFE ITSELF!" Gaia suddenly yelled. The wind picked up, blowing Gaia hair in every direction. Suddenly, hundreds of images appeared in front of Wheeler. _

_Wheeler watched as someone got on there knee in front of Linka and offered her a ring. Wheeler gasped when he realized it was him kneeling..._

"_No! It's not true! She betrayed me!"_

_Linka snuggled closer to Wheeler and sighed as she reached a new level of comfort. Wheeler watched as he and Linka fell asleep in each others arms. He was smiling, actually smiling while he was holding her…_

_But Wheeler didn't remember any of it._

"_I…no, it can't be. That never happened!" Wheeler screamed, clawing at his head._

"_I love you Wheeler…"_

"_I love you too Babe…"_

_The voice echoed from nowhere. Wheeler recognized them as his and Linka's voices. But he knew it couldn't be._

"_Linka never loved me…she betrayed me…right?" Wheeler found himself saying without realizing he had opened his mouth._

"_Look Wheeler! Look at what your life was like!" Gaia said, suddenly appearing next to him. Wheeler tried to turn away, but Gaia held his head in place. Wheeler tried to struggle, but Gaia was stronger that he was._

"_You are the final piece to my puzzle. Let's see if you fit…" The voice was obviously that of Linka's. An image appeared in front of Wheeler. _

_He was standing with Linka in the dark hallways on Hope Island. Linka had her arms around his neck. Slowly she brought her lips to meet his._

"_I love you." She whispered._

"_I love you too." He responded as Linka pushed him into her room._

"_See? Do you see?" Gaia asked, hoping that some of it was getting through to Wheeler._

"_Wheeler…Boshe moy…Wheeler…." Linka said again, this time her voice quiet and full of emotion. She was obviously out of breath. Another image swam into focus._

_The room was dark, but Wheeler could still make out two people on a bed. He assumed from the sounds they were making that they were naked and both hot and bothered._

"_Linka…I love you…." Wheeler said breathlessly._

"_Voz'mi! Voz'mi! " Linka exclaimed, pulling Wheeler closer to her, "Ya tak lyub-lyu te-bya!"_

"_Ohh…Linka…." Wheeler said, gently kissing Linka's neck._

"_Ti ochen' nuzhna mne!" Linka moaned breathlessly. The image faded away, leaving Wheeler shocked and speechless._

"_How…but…but…what about Kwame…he…." Wheeler stuttered as his brain tried to cope with these new sights and sounds._

"_Wheeler, Kwame was already in love with..."_

Wheeler awoke screaming in the dark. Cold sweat clung tightly to his shirt and dripped from his chin. Slowly he pulled himself out of bed, but the covered stuck to his dripping back. With a SHHHHTTTT sound, the wet sheets came off and fell back to the bed.

"Holy….holy shit…" Wheeler breathed as the afterimages of the dream faded away. _It was just a dream…it wasn't real…I'm sure…_

Wheeler shivered as goose bumps traveled up his spine. He told himself it was because of the cold; But deep down, he knew it was because he didn't sound confident about it just being a dream.

On shaking legs Wheeler walked over to the sink and splashed water on his face. Instantly he felt better, more awake, and more aware of what reality was. But _it_ lingered in his mind; images, sounds, feelings. Wheeler starred at himself in the mirror and noticed a look in his eyes. A look he wasn't use to seeing. Fear. He was _actually_ afraid for the first time since….since…._the orphanage._ Wheeler shook his head violently; where had that come from?

"Get over it. You have work to do." Wheeler said firmly. Shaking the final effects of the dream off, Wheeler spun on his heel and left his shit-hole of an apartment holding a camera.

--------

KNOCK KNOCK

Linka's eyes popped open. She glanced over at her clock which read 3:15 in large, red blinking numbers. Moaning loudly, Linka got up and felt her way over to the door. With a small creak, she opened it. Instantly she came face-to-face with a balding man in his late fifties. He was wearing a large brown trench coat with the unmistakable police badge clipped to a pocket.

"Are you Linka Ivanova?" The man asked, looking at a clip board of names.

"Da….what is this about?" Linka asked, rubbing her eye in an attempt to wake up.

"There was a murder outside. About five hours ago. Did you hear anything?" The man asked.

"Boshe moy….no, I'm sorry officer….?"

"Douglas. Detective Douglas actually. Pleased to meet you." Douglas said, offering his hand. Linka shook it happily. She wasn't that happy to meet him; she was more happy that a story had just been handed to her.

"Tell me Detective Douglas, who was killed?" Linka asked trying not to over do it too soon.

"Some young couple…their necks slashed open and….well, I'll spare you the details. But they're dead. That about all you need to know." Detective Douglas said firmly.

"Ohhhh, I think I can know a little more." Linka said, reaching for her press badge on the desk next to her.

"What makes you….fuck…." Douglas said when Linka showed him the badge.

"What can you tell me?" Linka asked with a grin playing across her face. Detective Douglas sighed and scratched the top of his balding head.

"Meet me outside in ten minutes. You'll get your story then." Douglas said before walking away. Linka smiled and closed the door, eager to get another story under her Bio. Truthfully, she didn't care about the story too much, she was just happy that _something_ had come to take her mind of her…past.

Linka put on a pair of black jeans and a simple red t-shirt. On top of that she wore her heavy pink winter coat. Glancing around for anything that might help her in the December cold, she found a scarf. It had been given to her by Wheeler for their first Christmas, almost seven years ago. Sighing heavily, Linka put it on and grabbed a pen and her notepad. With in minutes Linka was outside in the cold, walking over to the crime-scene.

Detective Douglas looked over to her as she approached and fought back the urge to tell her to piss off. He really hated reporters. All they ever did was fuck things up and get in trouble. He couldn't count how many reporters had taken evidence from his crime-scenes just so they had something that the other news crews didn't have.

"Detective Douglas, what can you tell me?" Linka asked, drawing the attention off all the cops present. One of them moved forward to intercept Linka, but Douglas barred his path.

"No. It's okay Rodger." Douglas told the man. Rodger nodded slowly and walked away to talk with one of the other officers.

"Well?" Linka asked, somewhat impatient.

"As you can see," Douglas said, motioning over to the two blood corpse on the floor, "This unlucky couple was murdered. Throats cut opened. Really messy."

"Robbed?" Linka asked, taking notes.

"Nope. Wallets are full. Cash, Credit Cards, everything." Douglas said with a sigh. He could tell this wasn't going to be a regular murder, if such a thing existed.

"Raped?" Linka asked, ready to write whatever the Detective said.

"Not that we can tell." Douglas said, confident in his answer.

"Any witnesses or anything?" Linka asked, almost frustrated at the lack of knowledge given to her.

"None." Douglas said with a sigh, "This is going to be a tough one."

"Really?" Linka asked, her reporter intuition spying an interesting point of view.

--------

"Shit it's cold." Wheeler cursed, pulling his coat tighter around his body. It was the middle of winter here and the wind chill wasn't all too pleasant. They just _had_ to find where Linka was living in the winter. And a damn cold winter at that!

From his vantage point on the roofs above the scene, Wheeler could see everything. The crime-scene, the police. Wheeler felt sad for the couple. Argos Bleak could be a real bastard sometimes. Ever since they had hired him from his late employer Looten Plunder, Argos had done all of their _dirty_ work. Wheeler had told him _not_ to kill anyone. And yet, here he was, starring at two bodies that told him that Argos had ignored him _again_.

Wheeler looked over the scene carefully. Seven or eight cops, three cop cars, a hand full of people asking questions and trying to get a better view of the corpses, then there was the blonde talking with on the officers. Wheeler felt his gut turn over just seeing her. He assumed it was disgust he was feeling. She wore simple clothes, but the scarf around her neck drew Wheeler's attention. He had given her that scarf their first Christmas so long ago.

"She probably doesn't remember who gave it to her. She's just wearing it 'cause its cold. No other reason." Wheeler said out loud, his words lost to the wind.

"She loves you." Wheeler looked around for the source of the voice and gasped when he realized he had said it without knowing it.

"No she doesn't." Wheeler spat back, but the words sounded empty and meaningless.

"You shitting me right? Nobody in this world loves you more." Wheeler said again, the words spilling out before he could stop himself.

"Shut up!" Wheeler said firmly.

"Can't you see it? Look at her!" Wheeler said loudly. Thankfully, no one heard him; But that didn't change the fact he said it.

"Shut up shut up shut up!" Wheeler moaned

"Look you son of a bitch! You need to look at her!"

"Damn right I do." Wheeler said, taking his camera and snapping a shot. A small flash burst from the light. Wheeler cursed and stepped back into the shadows. He had told Johnny to turn the flash off.

"Time to go." Wheeler whispered to himself. Seconds later he was go, leaving only footprints in the snow.

--------

Linka saw a quick flash out of the corner of her eye. She glanced up at the roof and squinted to see. Linka could almost make out the outline of someone standing, but it disappeared into the shadows.

"….that's basically all." Detective Douglas finished. Linka blinked twice before looking down at her notepad. She had written down everything that the Detective had said, almost word for word. Still not enough for a good story though. Linka decided to grab for every piece of information she could.

"Any evidence that point to gang violence?" Linka asked knowing that several New York City gangs operated in this general area.

"Nothing. And besides, gang violence has gone down sharply in the last month. Not really sure why…the gangs just sorta' disappeared." Douglas said with a shrug.

"Well, thanks for the scoop." Linka said, offering her hand to Detective Douglas.

"Don't mention it." Douglas said with a forced smile. He shook Linka's hand and walked away, eager to get back to his job. Linka yawned and put her notepad away. It must have been four o'clock in the morning.

"Time to go back to see. I'll worry about the story in six or seven hours." Linka thought to herself as she walked across the street back to her apartment. Linka sighed sadly; she remembered sleeping in with Wheeler so long ago. Back when she was a Planeteer. Linka quickly dismissed the thought.

"That was a long time ago; I really should stop thinking about him. Wheeler's dead; he's never coming back." Linka told herself.

--------

"Any luck Boss?" Asked the short, plump man holding a bottle of beer in one had and a sandwich in the other. The man's New York accent was so thick it was hard to tell what he said, but to ears that heard this talk their entire lives, it was as clear as day.

"Yeah. You might say I found what I was looking for. Look at this Paul" Wheeler responded, lifting a picture out of his pocket. He handed to the fat man; it was a picture of a young, blonde in her late twenties. She was talking to someone out of the picture. Her blonde hair hung loosely around her head. In her hands she held a pen and a small notebook.

"Wow…hey Johnny, get a load of this number!" Paul said, motioning to the squirrelly man in the corner.

"Daaammmnnnnn!" Johnny said, looking at the picture, "I wouldn't mind getting a piece of that ass!"

"Yeah, that is grade-A hotness!" Paul said with a wink, "If I got a hold of that, I would…"

"ENOUGH! Leave your pleasures to yourself." Wheeler yelled, causing Paul and Johnny to whimper in terror.

"Something wrong Boss?" Johnny asked.

"No….just a bad dream last night….really…messed with me." He confessed with a sigh.

"Anything we's can do?" Paul asked, trying to get in better standings with his boss.

"How about you just shut up?" Wheeler asked coldly.

"Christ, I was just being nice." Paul snorted angrily.

"I know..." Wheeler sighed, "Hey is Argos here?"

"Na' man. I ain't seen him since last night." Paul said with a dismissive wave.

"Why? He kill someone again?" Johnny asked with an amused smile.

"Yeah. Killed a young couple outside the apartment building." Wheeler sighed. Paul smiled and Johnny laughed.

"That guys a fucking maniac, lemme' tell ya'." Paul said mockingly.

"Find what you were looking for Baby?" Ask a seductive, musical voice. All three men turned to face the woman who had spoken. She wore a black dress that clung tightly to her curves. She approached them wearing a smile that would cause any bad-ass biker to just melt into mush.

"I found her Blight. I just…." Wheeler responded nervously

"What?" Blight asked coldly.

"Nothing." He responded with a shake of his head.

"Perfect." The woman purred, gently caressing Wheeler's chin and lower lip. Slowly she brought her lips to his and tasted him. The kiss was short, seductive and enchanting. Johnny and Paul looked away, half disgusted, half jealous. Blight let her tongue travel slowly through his open mouth, savoring the feeling on her lips. Blight delicately brought her tongue out and bit down on his lower lip. Blood slowly trickled onto her lips, filling her mouth with its coppery taste. Wheeler yelped and jumped back.

"Sorry Wheeler…" Blight said, licking her lips. The smile she wore was one of barely controlled lust and pleasure.

"That name…don't call me that." The redhead spat back, his voice covered with venom and disgust after hearing Blight use it.

"It is your really name." Blight said mockingly.

"It was my name…once. Before I was…." Wheeler said, the pain of the memories burning in his eyes like a small sun.

"Betrayed?" Blight asked, trying to hide her smile.

"Lost." Wheeler finished with a nervous nod.

"Yeah, and that aien't that name he's known by on the street." Paul said, pointing at Wheeler.

"Oh really? Well then, what's he known as on the street? Inferno?" Blight asked, pushing past Wheeler and sitting on Paul's lap.

"Umm….I….um…it's…." Paul stuttered as Blight looked him in the eyes, licking her lips seductively.

"Jackal Miss. Blight." Johnny said with a toothy smile. Blight looked up at him and smiled.

"Thank you Johnny." Blight said, pleased at the look Paul was sending Johnny. Blight quickly dismounted Paul and picked up the picture of Linka before walking off.

"Come with me…..Jackal." Blight said with an amused smile. Wheeler laughed coldly and followed.

"I'll get you for this." Paul said before taking another bite of his sandwich.

"Whatever." Johnny said with a dismissive wave, "You weren't going to get any thang from her anyways."

"Regardless, I liked the way she was sitting." Paul said with a shrug.

"You would….pervert." Johnny said with a disgusted look on his face.

"What?" Paul asked innocently.

"Dude, she's like fifty years old. She could be your mom and you got a ragging hard on. See anything wrong with that?" Johnny asked sarcastically.

"Hey man, whatever I can get….Lemme tell ya'." Paul said with a laugh. Johnny shook his head but couldn't hide the smile from his face.

---

"God, you couldn't have chosen a better bunch of henchmen?" Blight asked, sighing heavily as she fell onto an old leather couch.

"They're a fine bunch of miscreants. But they could do with a good beating for disobeying me." Wheeler responded

"They're just so….so….not MAL." Blight said sadly.

"You're right, they're not MAL. MAL is dead, these people are alive." Wheeler said with a shrug.

"They had better get the job done." Blight said venomously.

"Yeah, about that…um, I had this dream last night….it…it…" Wheeler stopped, not able to find the words.

"It was what?" Blight asked firmly as she got up and walked over to him.

"It…I was with her and we were at a building….it was an old, wooden building….with lots of children….and there was a fire…." Wheeler confessed, confusion and shock playing across his face.

"It was just a dream." Blight said gently running a finger up his cheek. Wheeler backed away and leaned against the wall. Blight sighed and starred him in the eyes. Wheeler couldn't meet her gaze and looked away. The images from his dream blazed back into his head, filling his mind with images and feelings long forgotten.

"It felt real….I…I was happy….Kwame….Gi….Ma Ti…..Linka….._Susan_!" Wheeler said recognition playing across his face.

"It was just a dream. Don't worry abou…"

"SUSAN WAS KWAME'S GIRLFRIEND! I SAW IT! THEY WERE IN LOVE!" Wheeler screamed, lashing out at Blight with his fist. Blight easily dodged and tripped Wheeler as he went past her.

"How can this be happening? I programmed you myself." Blight said as Wheeler stood, ready to attack again.

"Ohh God….Linka…I attacked her!" Wheeler gasped, horror playing across his face, "I have to get to her." Wheeler quickly ran over to the door and reached for the doorknob.

"Don't worry Baby…" Blight said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small controller, "Let me just remove those memories."

"Do what?" Wheeler gasped, but Blight pushed a button on the small controller. Instantly pain shot through Wheeler mind, sending him to the floor clutching his head, screaming.

"Blight…what…AAAARRGGGHHH!" Wheeler screamed; Blight smiled and turned a dial on the box. Wheeler fell to the ground screaming in pain. Blood began to drip from his nose and ears as Blight continued to enjoy the moment.

"Know this Planeteer. I have no plans to let you live past this mission. You kill the others, and I kill you. That's how it's going to be." Blight said before crouching next to him, "Now, you didn't have a dream. You saw no fire, no orphanage."

"Wh…what have you done to me!" Wheeler asked through his teeth.

"I made you better. A little chip in the back of your mind. You're my slave Firebug." Blight said simply.

"Where is Linka?" Wheeler asked angrily.

"Why would you want to know that?" Blight asked devilishly.

"Because…because I love….her….and…and she loves me…" Wheeler said firmly.

"WHAT!" Blight screamed. Instantly Blight sent a jolt of pure agony surging through Wheeler.

"Bitch….I'll….I'll…." Wheeler screamed, clawing at his face. Blood ran freely down Wheeler's face, pouring from his nose, ears and eyes. He desperately clawed at his face trying to find the source of the pain. With each wrench of his bloody fingernails, fresh cuts opened on his face oozed blood. Without warning, the door burst open and Paul came running in, holding another sandwich.

"What's going on?" Paul asked, half nervous, half eating a sandwich.

"It would appear that through dreams, Wheeler has been able to piece together his real past. This is going to set us back." Blight said, turning off the controller and leaving.

"What should I do with him?" Paul called after her.

"Make sure he doesn't get away." Blight answered back, "Hold him until I can get the right tools to fix his problem." Paul sighed and crouched down next to the shock-stricken Wheeler.

"A year….one whole year…lie…it was a lie!" Wheeler moaned.

"Don't worry Boss. That Blight woman will fix yous up. Won't be like this for much longer, lemme' tell ya'."

"You got that right." Wheeler coughed.

"Now don't yous try anything." Paul warned. Wheeler grinned and made his move. Before Paul could try and stop him, Wheeler put his hands together and with on huge swing, smashed Paul on the side of the head. Paul fell to the ground, holding his head and moaning. Blood dripped from his mouth and pooled on the floor.

"Paul! What's going on in there?" Johnny asked with barely controlled fear. Wheeler quickly ran over to the door and waited. Within seconds, the door slowly opened and Johnny poked his head inside.

"Paul? Where are yo…" Wheeler brought his elbow down and hammered Johnny in the back of the neck. Johnny collapsed to the floor in a heap. Wheeler stepped over his body and out into the main garage. Looking around, Wheeler spotted Blight's controller on a table.

"What's…NO!" Blight screamed when she followed Wheeler's glance to the table. Blight looked over at Wheeler and made a break for the table. Wheeler smiled and started to sprint, but not for the table. He had a better target.

Blight almost laughed when she was only three feet away from the table, but she soon realized why Wheeler hadn't raced her to the controller. With the force powered by rage and the pain of losing an entire year because of brainwashing, Wheeler smashed into Dr. Blight. Blight flew several feet across the room and crashed into the way, falling to the floor unconscious. Wheeler smiled bitterly and picked up the controller.

"Don't move!" A deep voice yelled from behind Wheeler. Spinning on his heel, Wheeler came face-to-face with Argos Bleak, the merciless mercenary. Argos had a Berretta in hands and a murderous grin on his face.

"Don't try it. I'm leaving, you can't stop me." Wheeler warned, backing towards the door. Argos laughed and pulled the hammer back.

"Really?" Argos said sarcastically.

"Really." Wheeler said, sprinting for the door. Argos smiled and pulled the trigger. Without thinking, Wheeler ducked as the bullet flew just over his head. Argos cursed and aimed again. Wheeler was on his feet running in seconds. Within a heartbeat, he was at the door and almost out of sight. _Only a few more feet…_

BANG

The bullet bit deep into Wheeler's side, ripping apart his flesh and muscle with ease. Wheeler screamed as white hot pain surged through his body. Dropping to the snow, Wheeler let go of the controller and watched it slide away. With a small grin, Wheeler watched it fall into a storm drain.

Blinking away tears, Wheeler stood up and limbed away. A second shot rang out and an explosion of pain ripped through his lower back. Wheeler could feel warm blood rolling down his back and hip. It took all of his will not to fall over, but he couldn't stay balanced for long. Wheeler fell and hit his shoulder on the wall, feeling it crack under the force.

"You don't look so good." Argos laughed, his footsteps getting closer.

"What are you talking about, I'm doing fine." Wheeler laughed. Argos clicked the hammer back again and fired, but Wheeler ducked around the corner. Argos considered following him, but decided against it. The last thing he need was to shot at some guy in the middle of New York at four in the morning.

"He won't get too far." Argos laughed and put the Berretta in his holster. Argos looked one more time at the corner and walked away.

--------

Linka sighed happily and rested her head against the pillow. It had been way too cold outside and she was happy to be back in her apartment, snuggled under her blankets.

"Nothing left to do except fall asleep and dream…sweet dreams….sweet…drea…" Linka moaned as sleep quickly overtook her…

KNOCK…..KNOCK

Linka almost screamed when she heard the pounding on her door. _It better not be that Detective._ Linka groaned and threw her covers off before slipping her feet into her slippers. Linka rubbed her eyes and walked over to the door. Still blinking, Linka opened the door and…

"Linka…." The man said. The voice was familiar, too familiar. Linka shook her head and looked closely at the man standing in her doorway. Linka gasped and backed away from the door. _It…it can't be._

He looked almost the exact same as he did so long ago. Soft red hair, gentle blues eyes and a weak but loving smile.

"Miliy moy….Nyet…this is a bad dream…kowmap…" Linka said, her hand hovering inches from her mouth.

"Linka…please…" Wheeler said, reaching his hand out to her. Linka hesitated for a second but her need to know if he was real took over. Linka slowly reached out and touched his hand. Careful not to startle Linka, Wheeler closed his hand around hers. Linka inhaled a lung full of air and quickly covered Wheeler's hand with her free one.

Instantly Linka closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around Wheeler's neck. Wheeler smiled and kissed the top of her head. Linka pulled away and threw her lips onto his.

Linka felt like she was floating. It was a feeling that Linka had never experienced before. All the emotions built up since the fire at the orphanage exploded through Linka's lips as she poured everything she had into it. Tears rolled freely down her cheeks but Linka didn't care. She was beyond happy; she was on a level of joy not reached since the night Wheeler spent with her. After what seemed like eternity, Wheeler pulled away and rested his head on Linka' forehead so their noses were touching.

"Wh…Wheeler! Ho…How?" Linka managed. Wheeler coughed and fell over. Linka quickly caught him and starred into his eyes.

"Help…help me…B….Babe." Wheeler said with a weak grin. Linka nodded dumbly and wiped tears from her eyes.

"Is…is it really…you?" Linka asked, unable to believe. Wheeler nodded and tried to laugh, but winced instead.

"I…I'm so…sorry…f…" Wheeler trailed off and his eyes rolled back into his head. He fell limp in Linka's arms and almost forced her to the ground. Linka pulled him inside and laid him down on the couch. It was then that Linka noticed warm liquid on her hands Squinting in the low light, Linka saw a red shine and gasped. Wheeler was bleeding heavily.

"Don't worry Wheeler…I'll take care of you…"

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Awwww….Wheeler's finally back. But is it over?

Isn't there still a chip in his brain! What will happen!

Until Next Time…..


	12. Chapter 12

Right, let's get this Ch 12 started!

Hope everyone enjoyed the last chapter….'Twas an interesting chapter eh?

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"Excuse me, miss?" A young red-head nurse whispered while gently shaking Linka's shoulder. Linka slowly opened her eyes and stared at the nurse for several seconds before recognizing her.

"Da…?" Linka moaned, still half-asleep.

"Are you the one who brought in the male red-head with bullet wounds?" She asked, checking a clipboard to make sure she got the facts right. Linka's eyes shot open and she jolted up, now fully awake.

"Da! I mean…I am." Linka said nodding her head, "Is he okay? Can I see him?"

"He is stable. Right now he's in a recovery room." Linka nodded a thank you and began to walk past the nurse when a arm stopped her, "But, I need to ask you some questions."

"Can it wait?" Linka asked, annoyed.

"I'm sorry, but it can't." The nurse said sadly, "Now, do you know his name?"

"William…his name is William." Linka said quickly.

"And, what is your relationship to him?" The nurse asked while writing on her clipboard.

"Fiancé" Linka said not entirely sure anymore. The nurse looked up from her clipboard and smiled.

"Well, no wonder you want to see him. Congratulations. When's the wedding?" The nurse asked, somewhat envious.

"We…" Linka sighed, "We haven't set a date yet."

"Ahh…recently engaged huh?" The nurse said with a nod, "Well okay, he's in a recovery room. Down the hall and to the right. Room 115" The nurse smiled one last time and walked back to main desk.

"Da…recently engaged…" Linka said forcing herself not to cry. If it hadn't been for Blight, they would have been married for a long time now. Maybe even with a child on the way.

Linka sighed to herself. Despite herself, she felt a spark of hope surge through her body. Maybe, if Wheeler really was back, they could still have a family. A daughter, Emily and a son, Chris. Emily would be the elder one and would look after Chris like a hawk ready to protect its young.

Linka reached the end of the hall and took at right. There it was. 115. The numbers stood out on the glass window of the door. Linka took in a long breath of air and reached for the door handle.

"This is it. Any minute I'm going to wake up" Linka thought to herself, "But I have to know if he's real." Linka sighed and opened the door. It was dimly lit, mostly due to the fact that the sun was still rising.

Slowly Linka walked over to the sleeping form in the bed. Linka pulled over a chair and sat down at the edge of the bed. Carefully she took his hands and rubbed it with her thumb. _He feels real._ Linka starred at his sleeping form for several long minutes, mapping out each inch of his face. _He looks the same. _

Linka took in a long breath before daring to speak.

"W…William?" Linka whispered; he didn't move. "William…?" His eyes twitched slightly and slowly opened.

"Li…Linka?" Wheeler whispered trying his best to smile. _He sounds the same. To hell with it! If it talks like a duck and walks like a duck._ Linka dropped Wheeler's hand and stood. Seconds later, she found her arms on Wheeler's shoulders and her lips on his. Wheeler slowly moved his hands onto Linka's back and tried to pull her closer.

Linka felt light headed as she kissed Wheeler. The world seemed to become brighter with each passing second, as if nature herself was smiling upon them. Linka shivered; the taste of Wheeler's lips on hers caused her heartbeat to accelerate and goose bumps to appear on her body.

The need for air grew too great and Linka had to pull away. She quickly got a lung full of air and kissed Wheeler again and again and again. Slowly Linka stopped kissing and looked Wheeler in the eyes and smiled.

"How…how did you survive?" Linka asked, her eyes filling up with tears.

"I…" Wheeler began as he starred into Linka's eyes, "Jumped."

"Boshe moy! You jumped!" Linka laughed, "You always were reckless Yankee."

"After that Blight and I started to plan. We…" Wheeler trailed off and looked away.

"What did you plan?" Linka asked, moving Wheeler's head back to where it was with her hand.

"To…" Wheeler said as his lip began to tremble and tears filled his eyes, "To kill you."

"Well, it's good that you came to your senses before you did." Linka said with a forced smile.

"Gaia…" Wheeler whispered.

"What?" Linka asked, unsure if she heard correctly.

"Gaia helped me to see…" Wheeler whispered, his voice shaky "To see what really happened."

"We'll have to thank her then, da?" Linka asked with a relieved smile.

"Babe…I'm so, so sorry. I…" Wheeler trailed off as tears fell down his cheeks, "Can you _ever_ forgive me?"

"Wheeler…" Linka whispered brushing his tears away, "William, you never have to ask for my forgiveness. I know that you couldn't stop yourself from saying those hurtful things, or attacking us."

"God Linka…I can't…I just can't…." Wheeler stuttered on the verge of losing himself.

"Please Wheeler. I love you; there is no need to ask for forgiveness." Linka whispered.

"I…I…" Wheeler said, his bottom lip still shaking. Linka looked him in the eyes and saw despair. His eye shook as if struck by an earthquake and Linka could tell one wrong word would cause the tears to flow again.

Linka smiled and pulled Wheeler up into her arms and hugged tightly. Wheeler instantly threw his arms around Linka and clung to her. Linka could feel his anguish as his cried into her shoulder.

"No more Wheeler…no more…" Linka whispered, rocking him back and forth slowly. Wheeler slowly settled down and stopped crying but never once let go of Linka.

"How…how can I prove tha-"

"Wheeler…" Linka whispered, starring into his eyes, "Marry me."

"What?" Wheeler asked as the tears momentarily stopped. Linka grinned and allowed Wheeler to gently fall back onto the bed. Now Linka stood over Wheeler's bed, gazing down at his emotion filled eyes.

"Marry me Wheeler." Linka said again, this time more enthusiastically, "As soon as possible. I…" Linka brushed her hand on his cheek, "I have been robbed too long of you. I am ready to make our love official." Wheeler stared at Linka for several long seconds as the words registered in his mind.

"Babe…" Wheeler said as a smile slowly crept onto his face, "If I wasn't in stuck in this bed, I would show you how official I can make our love."

"Da, I'm sure you would." Linka said, blushing furiously.

"And don't even think that you wouldn't enjoy-" Wheeler stopped and his eyes widened. His lower lip trembled and all the color drained from his face.

"Yankee? What is it? What's wrong?" Linka asked, growing increasingly nervous and scared with each second.

"Th…The chip! The chip Dr. Blight put in my brain, its still-"

"Actually, it's not still in you head." Someone behind Linka said. Linka turned around and saw a doctor with short brown hair and glasses standing there.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Jones." The man said extending his hand to Linka.

"What did you mean the chip is no longer in my head?" Wheeler asked. Dr. Jones looked at him and nodded slowly.

"When you were brought in, you had severe blood loss. When we brought you to the ER, all the machines went haywire." Dr. Jones began, "We found a small bump at the bottom of your neck with a chip inside. The chip was emitting a radio single that was disabling our equipment. We also discovered the chip was storing energy for a small explosion that would have killed you."

"So…." Wheeler said as he took in all the information.

"So we removed the chip." Dr. Jones said, quickly adding "You would have died if we hadn't."

"So no chip?" Wheeler asked, wanting to hear the words.

"No chip." Dr. Jones confirmed.

"Chip-less?" Wheeler asked, still unsure.

"Chip-less." Dr. Jones said with a smile. Wheeler sighed with relief and looked up a Linka. She smiled at him and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Thank you Dr. Jones." Linka said, shaking his hand vigorously.

"One more thing." Dr. Jones said, "I would like to keep you around for a few days. You know, make sure everything checks out with you."

"Shouldn't be too much of a problem." Wheeler said, glancing up at Linka, "You'll keep the couch warm for me right Babe?"

"The couch! Nyet Wheeler, you will be sharing my bed." Linka declared, her tone broking no argument

"Oh am I?" Wheeler asked in mock anger.

"I think I should go…" Dr. Jones said and quickly ducked out of the room.

"Da you are!" Linka said firmly "It's been over a year since we have been together and if you think I'm going to let you sleep on a couch-"

"Okay, chill Linka. I was just messing with you." Wheeler said, taking her hand and kissing it.

"I…I know. It's just, having you back in my life…" Linka trailed; Wheeler nodded and noticed a glint of gold on her finger. Wheeler breath was taken away instantly.

"You still have the ring on." Wheeler whispered, his eyes glazing over.

"I'm still engaged." Linka said and leaned down to kiss him.

"God I love you." Wheeler breathed, his lips inches from hers.

"I know." Linka whispered and kissed him…

--------

Linka sighed and slowly closed the door to room 115. Wheeler was understandably exhausted. He had fallen asleep in her arms and Linka had gently let go of him and left. She desperately needed a cup of coffee. She had it all planned out; go home, grab a quick shower, get some coffee and a some muffins, come back and see if Wheeler was hungry. She felt horrible for leaving Wheeler even for a second, but she was sure that if she brought back food Wheeler would be okay with it. Linka walked down the hall and found the enterance. Cold morning air bit at her skin as Linka walked to her car.

"Linka…" A familiar voice echoed behind her. Linka spun on her heel and smiled.

"Captain." Linka breathed and hugged him tightly. Captain Planet hugged her back and could tell she was happy.

"How is he?" Captain Planet inquired, concern painted on his face.

"Alive…" Linka whispered. Captain Planet smiled and hugged her again.

"He…" Captain Planet began, "He's really back?"

"Da…all of him." Linka said, "Body and mind."

"That's…wonderful." Captain Planet breathed.

"Have…do the others know?" Linka asked nervously.

"Gaia has informed them." Captain Planet said with a smile, "Gi was ready to book the next flight into town." Linka laughed; that sounded like Gi.

"What about the others?" Linka asked.

"Ma-ti almost passed out when he heard." Captain Planet informed her, "And Kwame, I think he's packing his car ands driving up."

"It would be nice to see everyone again." Linka said as an after thought.

"So, where are you off to?" Captain Planet asked unable to believe Linka would willingly leave Wheeler's side.

"I desperately need a shower." Linka said, blushing slightly, "Plus I'm hungry. Wheeler probably is too."

"They have food in the hospitals you know." Captain Planet said with a grin.

"Nyet. I'm trying to get him out of there, not keep him in with food poisoning." Linka said with a sort laugh. A silence fell between the two, lasting several minutes.

"What happened to him?" Captain Planet asked, his voice piercing the silence.

"I still don't know." Linka sighed, "It must have been bad."

"Make quite a story for the _Times_." Captain Planet said with a smirk."

"Although that is the _last_ thing on my mind, da it would." Linka said, making sure to emphasize last.

"I shouldn't keep you." Captain Planet said slowly taking steps back, "The soon you get a shower, the soon you can get back to your fiancé." Linka smiled; she liked the sound of fiancé. However, husband sound much nicer.

Linka watched Captain Planet fly away then finished the walk to her car. Linka drove to her apartment as fast as she could and noticed the police still outside. Despite herself, she felt butterflies in her stomach. _Two fantastic stories, and all mine. _Linka frowned and almost spat in disgust. Wheeler was not a _story_; he was her fiancé, her future husband. At least David would stop asking her out. Linka smiled; _that_ was a plus.

Linka unlocked her door and took a shower as quickly as she could. For clothes she decided to wear black jeans, a pink long sleeved t-shirt, her scarf and her heavy winter coat. It didn't complement her curves, but it was warm. Linka grabbed her purse and walked back to her car. _Twenty minutes, damn I'm good._

"Now all I need is coffee and some muffins…" Linka thought to herself as she pulled up to the Starbuck's window. She ordered two French Roasts and four blueberry muffins.

Linka pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and remembered the scene only a few hours before. She had called ahead and found several doctors at the front, waiting for her and bleeding Wheeler.

Linka shivered; she never wanted to see that much blood for the rest of her life. And the feelings of total loss and helplessness she had felt as Wheeler was in surgery. Linka sighed; she was glad it was over. Linka walked down the familiar hallway and found room 115. But the door was ajar.

Linka slowly opened the door and instantly noticed the lights off but the shades up. The exact opposite of where she had left the shade. Beams of light illuminated the floor and part of the wall behind Linka. Slowly she reached for the light switch.

"Don't even think about it." The voice was female but raspy and aged. Linka blinked and looked over at the corner. A figure was propped up against the wall with her arms crossed.

"Who…who are you?" Linka asked firmly.

"Hello Blondie." The woman said walking into the light, "It's been a long time."

"Dr. Blight"

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Man, here it is, like two in the morning and I'm writing a Fanfic….

Sigh

I need a social life….

If any typos exist, point them out in a review…'cause it's like two here in St. Louis and I'm really tired from Varsity cross country…so I'ma go sleep…'night…zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Until Next Time….


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